Norfolk County Inmate Search
A law enforcement officer (such as a police officer or state trooper) may arrest an individual in Norfolk County per MGL c. 276 when:
- The officer possesses a court order (warrant) authorizing the individual's arrest.
- The officer has reason to believe that the individual is committing or has committed a crime in their presence.
- The officer has reason to believe that the person committed a criminal offense, but not in their presence.
After an arrest in Norfolk County, the law enforcement officer will bring the arrested individual to a police station or other detention facility for booking and processing. The booking process involves recording the individual's personal information and the details of the alleged offense. Subsequently, the individual will be allowed to post bail or held in custody until their arraignment.
At the arraignment, the accused will appear in court to hear the charges brought against them and enter a plea. If the suspect pleads "not guilty," a trial date will be set. If the defendant pleads "guilty," the presiding judge may announce their sentence immediately or later on a scheduled date.
If the accused is found "not guilty" at the end of the court proceedings, they will be released from the charges. However, a guilty conviction leads to sentencing, which may include fines, probation, or incarceration. The severity of a criminal sentence depends on the crime and any aggravating or mitigating factor that may be present.
Those sentenced to imprisonment in Norfolk County may be housed in the county jail if convicted of less serious crimes or serving short sentences. Interested persons can search for Norfolk County inmates or look up a Norfolk County inmate through the sheriff's office. On the other hand, persons convicted of serious crimes (typically felonies) are sent to the state prison system, which the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC) oversees.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and therefore are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
Norfolk County Crime and Incarceration Statistics
As of December 2021, roughly 1570 individuals were reported to have been incarcerated in the Norfolk County jail in the last 12 months. The average daily population (ADP) for those 12 months was 351, and the age range of the jail population was between 18 and 80.
Individuals seeking the latest crime and incarceration statistics can contact the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office.
Norfolk County Prison System
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office oversees the Norfolk County prison system, which consists of one jail facility: the Norfolk County Jail, also known as the Norfolk County Correctional Center.
The Norfolk County Jail, located in Dedham and opened in 1992, is a modern correctional facility with a 500-bed design capacity that houses pretrial and sentenced inmates. According to the sheriff's office, the average length of stay in the jail facility is approximately three months.
The Norfolk County Correctional Center also has a Dedham Alternative Center (DAC), a minimum-security housing unit where inmates nearing the end of their sentence are housed and allowed to work in the community. Inmates with positive performance may be considered for pre-release living arrangements outside the DAC.
How to Find an Inmate in Norfolk County
A person can find an inmate in Norfolk County as follows:
- Call the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office at (781) 329-3705
- Stop by the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office in person to make inquiries
- Use an online inmate locator system
Inquirers must provide an inmate's first and last name or booking number to determine their housing location.
How Does a Norfolk County Inmate Search Work?
A county inmate search allows interested persons to find information about an inmate currently being held in a county correctional facility. Per Chapter 66, Section 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), it is legal for members of the public to perform an inmate search and access inmate records in Norfolk County, including:
- An inmate's first and last name
- Booking number and date
- Housing location
- Charges and sentence
- Next court date and location
Where to Find a Norfolk County Inmate Locator
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office does not offer an inmate search feature on its website. However, several third-party websites provide inmate locator tools to aid interested persons in finding an inmate in Norfolk County. These sites may charge a fee to access their services, which varies depending on the provider.
While third-party inmate locator tools can be helpful, they may not always provide the most recent or accurate information. Thus, one should contact or visit the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office for assistance.
How to Send Money to a Norfolk County Inmate
Inmates incarcerated in Norfolk County can receive money via their trust accounts. The funds received can be used to pay for phone calls, commissary items, and other available services the facility offers.
Members of the public can use the following methods to send money into an inmate's account:
Jail Lobby Kiosks
Friends and family can deposit money into an inmate's account via lobby kiosks at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office in Quincy Center and the jail facility. Payment at the kiosks can be made by cash or credit card. Below is the sheriff's Quincy office address.
191 Parkingway
Quincy, MA 02169
Online and Telephone Deposits
Individuals can also deposit into an inmate's account online or via phone through a third-party vendor. Deposits can be made using a debit or credit card.
To get more information about sending money to an inmate in Norfolk County, one can contact the county jail at (781) 329-3705.
How to Visit a Norfolk County Inmate
Individuals must be approved by the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office to visit an inmate in the Norfolk County Correctional Center (NCCC). This entails completing and submitting a visitor pre-approval form, which can be obtained from the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office website or at the jail's lobby. The application must be submitted seven to ten days in advance to allow for processing. The application form can be mailed or faxed to the following address:
Norfolk County Sheriff's Office
200 West Street
P.O. Box 149
Dedham, MA 02027
Attention: Records Division
Fax: (781) 326-6020
After seven to ten days from the application date, applicants should contact the sheriff's Visitor Information Center at (781) 329-3705 or email visits@norfolksheriffma.org to check their approval status.
Approved visitors have two ways to visit inmates at the Norfolk County jail: in person or by video.
In-Person
Certain visitation rules apply to in-person visitors at the Norfolk County jail, including:
- Each visitor must arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time to complete check-in.
- Each inmate has a 45-minute visitation time limit. Further, an inmate can only have a maximum of two adult visitors on weekdays and three on weekends. The three visitors may consist of an adult and two children or two adults and one child.
- No food or drink is allowed during a visit.
- Visitors must dress appropriately. Provocative or revealing clothing is prohibited.
Video Visits
Video visits with inmates at Norfolk County are available via a third-party platform. Visitors must register for an account on the third-party site and schedule their visitation time with an inmate in advance. Only visitors on an inmate's pre-approval list can participate in video visits.
During the video session, visitors must follow specific guidelines, including obeying dress codes and displaying proper behavior. Violating a rule may lead to visit termination or suspension from video visits.
More information about visits to the Norfolk County jail is available on the Norfolk Sheriff's Office website.
How to Send Jail Mail in Norfolk County
Mail sent to Norfolk County inmates is classified into two categories:
- Personal Mail
- Legal Mail, Publications, and Money Orders
Legal mail, publications, and money orders should be addressed as follows:
Inmate Name and ID Number
Norfolk County Correctional Center
200 West Street
P.O. Box 149
Dedham, MA 02027-0149
Personal mail is not accepted at the NCCC but by a third-party vendor, who digitally scans the correspondence and makes it available on inmate tablets or kiosks at the jail facility. The mailing address for personal mail can be obtained from the sheriff's website.
All senders must include an inmate's full name and booking (ID) number to ensure the mail reaches the intended recipient. Those who do not know an inmate's ID can call the sheriff's office for assistance at (781) 329-3705.
Personal mail items that cannot be scanned, including packages and non-paper items, and other contraband items - like drugs, sexually explicit photographs, and others listed in the inmate handbook - are prohibited. Individuals may send publications to inmates if shipped directly from a publisher, authorized retailer, or distributor, such as Barnes & Noble or Edward Hamilton Booksellers. Further, inmates can only own three books at a time, such as the Holy Bible or Quran. However, it is up to the jail administration to determine if magazines with general interest, news, health, and sports coverage are suitable.
More information on prohibited items and mailing procedures (as well as the personal mail address) is available on the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office website.
Any mail parcel that contains prohibited items will not be delivered to the inmate, and the package will be returned to the sender.
Norfolk County Jails and Prisons
The addresses and contact information of the jail/prison facilities in Norfolk County are listed below:
County Jails
Norfolk County Correctional Center (NCCC)
200 West Street
P.O. Box 149
Dedham, MA 02026
Phone: (781) 329-3705
State Prisons
MCI-Norfolk
2 Clark Street
P.O. Box 43
Norfolk, MA 02056
Phone: (508) 660-5900
Pondville Correctional Center
1 Industries Drive
P.O. Box 146
Norfolk, MA 02056
Phone: (508) 660-3924
Federal Prisons
There are no federal prisons in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
