Norfolk County Released Inmate Records
Released inmate records in Norfolk County are held by the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office in Dedham. The county runs a correctional center that holds male offenders who are pre-trial or serving sentences of 2.5 years or less. Norfolk County does not have a public online inmate search tool, so most released inmate lookups need a phone call or a written records request. The sheriff's office responds to requests within 10 business days under Massachusetts public records law. If you need to find released inmate data from Norfolk County, you will have to go through the formal request process since there is no web portal to search on your own.
Norfolk County Overview
Norfolk County Sheriff's Office
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office runs the Norfolk County Correctional Center at 200 West Street in Dedham. Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott leads the office. The jail holds male offenders only. Inmates there are either waiting for trial or serving a sentence of 2.5 years or less. Anyone with a longer sentence goes to a state prison run by the Massachusetts Department of Correction. This matters for your search because it tells you which office has the records you need.
The sheriff's office is clear on one point. They are not a police force. They do not make arrests. They are not a court. Their job is to run the jail and hold inmates placed in their care by the courts. This also means the records they keep are limited to what happens inside their facility. Booking data, release dates, daily head counts, program records, and visiting logs are all part of what they maintain for released inmates in Norfolk County.
You can reach the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office by phone at 781-329-3705. Staff are there Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM. For records requests by email, use records_request@norfolksheriffma.org. The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office website has more details on the facility and its programs.
The sheriff's website covers facility programs, staff contacts, and general jail information for Norfolk County.
| Facility | Norfolk County Correctional Center |
|---|---|
| Address |
200 West Street Dedham, MA 02026 |
| Phone | 781-329-3705 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Sheriff | Patrick W. McDermott |
| Records Email | records_request@norfolksheriffma.org |
How to Search Norfolk County Released Inmate Records
Norfolk County does not have an online inmate lookup. There is no web page where you can type in a name and see results. This sets Norfolk apart from some other counties in the state. To find released inmate records here, you need to file a public records request or call the sheriff's office directly.
Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10, any person can ask for public records from a government office in Massachusetts. You do not need to live in the state. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The law says the office must respond within 10 business days. For Norfolk County released inmate records, send your request to the Norfolk County Sheriff's public records page or email records_request@norfolksheriffma.org.
This page walks you through the steps to file a request with the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office for released inmate data and other custody records.
When you file a request, be specific. Include the full name and date of birth of the person you are looking up. Ask for the exact records you want. You can request booking records, release dates, charges, program records, or daily population lists. The more detail you give, the faster the office can find what you need. Under 950 CMR 32.07, the first two hours of staff time to pull records are free, and copies cost $0.05 per page after that.
Norfolk County Released Inmate Custody Records
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office keeps several types of records tied to released inmates. These cover the full span of time a person spent in custody at the Norfolk County Correctional Center. Some of these records are public. Others may have parts that get redacted under state exemptions.
Records you can request include:
- Booking and intake records
- Release dates and discharge information
- Daily population reports
- Program participation records
- Visiting logs
- Custody status history
Medical records are not public. Mental health files are off limits too. Under M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26), records that would risk facility security can be held back. Social security numbers are always removed. If the sheriff's office denies part of your request, they must tell you which exemption applies and why. You can then appeal to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Public Records Division if you think the denial was wrong.
Note: The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office does not participate in the VINE victim notification system, so you cannot track inmate releases through that tool for this county.
Norfolk County Records Access Officer
The Norfolk County Commissioners have their own Records Access Officer for county-level records. William J. Buckley Jr. holds this role. His office is at 614 High Street, Suite 201, Dedham, MA 02026. Call 781-461-6105 to reach him. This office handles records requests for Norfolk County government, which can include some data related to the correctional center's operations and budget.
The Norfolk County public records request page lets you submit a formal request to the county commissioners. This is a separate path from the sheriff's office. Use this if you need county-level records rather than inmate-specific data. Both offices follow the same 10 business day rule under M.G.L. c. 66, Section 10.
This portal handles requests that go through the Norfolk County Commissioners rather than the sheriff's office.
Norfolk County Court Records for Released Inmates
Court records are another way to find information about released inmates in Norfolk County. The Norfolk Superior Court handles serious criminal cases. It sits at 650 High Street in Dedham. Call 781-326-1600 to reach the clerk's office. Criminal case files show charges, plea deals, sentencing terms, and sometimes release conditions. If you know the case number, the clerk can pull the file quickly.
The Massachusetts Trial Court system has an online search tool at mass.gov/courts where you can look up case records by name. Results show docket entries, case status, and party names. For Norfolk County cases, the system covers both the Superior Court and District Courts within the county. Court records are public under Massachusetts law, and you can view them at the courthouse or request copies by mail. This can fill in gaps when the sheriff's office records do not cover what you need about a released inmate's case history in Norfolk County.
Note: Court records and jail records are kept by different offices, so you may need to contact both to get the full picture on a released inmate from Norfolk County.
Norfolk County Reentry and Inmate Programs
The Norfolk County Correctional Center runs a reentry program that the Massachusetts Attorney General once called a "model for the entire state." This matters for released inmate records because program participation shows up in custody files. If someone went through reentry courses, job training, or substance abuse treatment while at the Norfolk County facility, those records exist and can be requested.
Reentry programs help inmates get ready to leave jail. They cover job skills, education, substance use treatment, and mental health support. Norfolk County has put real effort into this side of its operations. For families and others looking into a released inmate's background, these program records can show what steps the person took while in custody. You request them the same way you request any other released inmate record from the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office.
The Massachusetts Inmate Rosters page for Norfolk County has some basic information about the Norfolk County Correctional Center and its inmate population.
This third-party site compiles roster data and general facility details for the Norfolk County Correctional Center.
Norfolk County Jail Visitation and Contact Rules
Visiting someone at the Norfolk County Correctional Center takes planning. The jail requires pre-approval for all visitors. You can have up to five people on your approved list at a time. Changes to that list happen on a quarterly basis, and it takes about 10 days to process a new visitor application. These rules apply while someone is in custody, but the visitation logs become part of the released inmate's record file.
Phone calls go through Securus Technologies. Inmates can make calls using the Securus system. For sending money by mail, only money orders are accepted. No cash or personal checks. These records also stay on file after release. If you need to confirm that someone was held at the Norfolk County facility, visiting logs and phone records can serve as evidence of their time in custody, though access to these records follows the same public records request process.
Cities in Norfolk County
Norfolk County has 28 cities and towns. Released inmate records for anyone held at the Norfolk County Correctional Center go through the sheriff's office in Dedham, regardless of which town the person lives in.
Other Norfolk County communities include Braintree, Milton, Needham, Wellesley, Franklin, and Randolph. All of these fall under the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office for released inmate records.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Norfolk County. If you are not sure which county jail held someone, check the town where they were held or contact the sheriff's office to confirm. Released inmate records are kept by the county where the person served their time.