Sheriff Ogden Announces $6 Million Allocated in State Funding for Repair and Replacement of Jail and Lockup

Sheriff Robert W. Ogden is proud to announce an allocation of $6 million in state funding for repair and replacement of the current 1873 Regional Jail and Lockup facility, located at 149 Main Street in Edgartown. The inclusion of this funding in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 5-year Capital Investment Plan is the culmination of efforts dating back to 2017, when Sheriff Ogden first took office.

State-sponsored studies, showing a need to modernize the facility, date back to 1990.  Sheriff Ogden took the initiative to communicate specific short-term and long-term needs to the State in 2017, and thanks to the legislative support of Senator Julian Cyr, $1.75 million in bond funding was secured specifically for maintenance and improvements to the Dukes County Jail and Lockup as part of Chapter 113 of the Acts of 2018. 

Sheriff Ogden’s administration has worked closely with the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to convey the urgent need to upgrade and advocate for the eventual replacement of the existing facility. The secure facility serves as the only regional resource to the entire law enforcement community and Trial Court in Dukes County.  A series of site visits and long-term strategy planning sessions with the State partner agencies took place in 2019, 2020 and 2021.  As a result, the $6 million bond funds will be made available for this regional facility’s capital needs over the course of four years - $650,000 in Fiscal Year 2023, $2.25 million in FY 2024, $2.25 million in FY 2025, and $850,000 in FY 2026.  Under the Capital Improvement Plan, all bond caps are allocated to DCAM as the capital agency, with the Plan Item B570 in the Public Safety Policy Area.

Sheriff Ogden stated, “Our progress stands as a development of unprecedented magnitude not just for Corrections but the entire justice system in Dukes County, only matched by the 1875 move of the Jail from its original location next to the Courthouse to its current address at 149 Main Street.  The Dukes County Sheriff’s Office is excited to work with our State partner agencies on final details of the largest facility improvement in the last 150 years.” Sheriff Ogden continued, “I want to express my deepest appreciation to all key personnel at different State agencies for taking action on this important regional asset.”