Massachusetts’ Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott is lobbying for federal funding that will help convicts reacclimate into society, saying ultra-harsh conditions in prison are a thing of the past.
McDermott said the main role of the sheriff is not just overseeing punishment for crimes but “the care and custody of those individuals in the criminal justice system … and most of those individuals are dealing with mental health issues as well as substance use disorder.”
Helping convicts re-enter society
That’s why McDermott, in his role as head of the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association, traveled to Washington last March to meet with the President and top Trump administration law enforcement officials to lobby for continued federal funding for programs aimed at helping prepare convicts for their eventual reentry into society.
In an interview on WBZ’s Sunday edition of “Keller At Large,” McDermott said he didn’t know yet if budget cuts just passed by Congress will affect those local programs…