The Sheriff’s Department is mandated to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth and to serve and protect the citizens of Suffolk County.

We accomplish this mission by:

• Maintaining safe and secure custody and control of inmates and pre-trial detainees.
• Enhancing public safety by seeking ways to effectively reduce offender recidivism.
• To meet the challenges presented by this obligation, we must set goals that inform and improve our relationship with both the public and each other.

Steven W. Tompkins, a member of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department since 2002, was appointed to serve as the Sheriff of Suffolk County on January 22nd, 2013 by Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick.

As the Sheriff of Suffolk County, Tompkins manages all operations at the Suffolk County House of Correction, the Nashua Street Jail and the Civil Process Division. In addition to providing care, custody and rehabilitative support for inmates and pre–trial detainees, Tompkins also oversees a management, security and administrative staff of over 1,000.

• Detainee Programs
• Vocational Arts programs
• The Education Division
• Reentry Services

Tour The Facilities

Here you can take a virtual tour of one of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department facilities.

Suffolk County Jail at Nashua Street
Suffolk County South Bay House of Correction

SCSD Employment Opportunities Below is a list of current opportunities at Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. Please click on an opening in the list to view details and apply or to download an application. Click here

If you have previously submitted or saved an application, please go to My Account to retrieve it.

Members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department joined City Connects Coordinator Maeve Gardner and James W. Hennigan K-8 School Network Coordinator Janet Iraola for the school’s recent resource and career fair. SCSD representatives engaged with students, providing information about the Department’s upcoming Summer Enrichment Program and shared their experiences around working in law enforcement and criminal justice. For more about the Summer Enrichment Program and how to apply, visit: www.scsdma.org/SEP2024 #WeAreSCSD

Members of the Community Works Program took part in an effort to unload, sort and stack a delivery of food to St. Monica Church’s food pantry in South Boston. The Community Works Program (CWP), which is made up of volunteers from the Department’s in-custody population who must meet strict classification standards to be selected for the program, helps participants to gain work experience and build upon valuable skills learned through vocational and job training that can help to remove the barriers to employment that they often face upon their return to society.

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Correction Officer Training Academy Class 24-01 took part in tactical, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and life-saving trainings as part of the rigorous practical and educational studies that will prepare them to join the ranks of officers who make up the custody team at the House of Correction and Suffolk County Jail. Keep up the hard work and we’ll see you at the finish line! #WeAreSCSD

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department hosted a group of students from Blue Hills Regional Technical School for a tour of the Suffolk County House of Correction. Visiting several different areas of the facility, including the property room, Culinary Arts Program kitchen, the medical unit, inmate housing units, and other locations, the visitors also got to see the early incubation process for the Urban Farm Program and take part in a question and answer session with a trio of women who have been remanded to Department care and custody by the courts. The Department conducts tours for schools, legislators and other groups as part of its commitment to transparency and demystification of the correctional system. We want to thank our visitors from Blue Hills Regional Technical for their interest in learning more about the form and functions of the Department.