Audit of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (November 25, 2025)

This is a state performance audit of certain Franklin County Sheriff’s Office activities, mainly covering July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024, with a longer lookback for employee settlement agreements.

“In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of certain activities of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.”

Auditors checked whether the sheriff’s office followed rules on inmate deaths, inmate healthcare, mental health screenings, sick call requests, quarterly healthcare oversight, and employee settlement agreements.

“The purpose of our audit was to determine the following:”

Timely health checks matter because delays can mean medical problems are missed or treated late, which can affect both inmates and staff.

“Because FCSO did not ensure that all inmates’ initial health assessments were completed within the required timeframe, there is a higher-than-acceptable risk that inmates’ medical issues were not identified and treated, ultimately affecting the health and safety of all FCSO inmates and staff members.”

For ordinary citizens, this report gives a window into whether a publicly funded jail is meeting basic health, safety, and accountability duties.

“In fiscal years 2023 and 2024, FCSO’s annual state appropriations were approximately $19,596,630 and $19,910,176, respectively.”

The sheriff’s office passed most areas tested, but auditors found two issues: late initial health assessments for some inmates and no documented policy for employee settlement agreements during the audit period.

“However, we found certain issues during our testing regarding FCSO’s lack of policies over the use of employee settlement agreements.”

The Auditor’s office said it will check back in about six months to see whether the sheriff’s office has followed through on fixes.

“As part of our post-audit review process, we will follow up on this matter in approximately six months.”

The audit is significant because it found a gap in required inmate healthcare timing and called for stronger written rules around employee settlements, even though most tested areas had no major issues.

“FCSO should develop, document, and implement a written policy related to employee settlement agreements, including prohibiting the use of non-disclosure, non-disparagement, or similarly restrictive clauses in its agreements, as recommended in the Governor’s “Executive Department Settlement Policy,” issued January 27, 2025.”

A “qualified healthcare professional” means a properly credentialed medical provider, such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse, depending on the task.

“In an email dated July 3, 2025, FCSO defined a QHP as “a Medical provider with the credentials and authorization to perform a needed task.”