A little context about the sheriffs and how stressed they are over their budgets. (“Free jail calls stressing sheriffs’ budgets, staff,” Gazette, April 9). Gov. Maura Healey recommended in her 2026 budget $741 million to incarcerate as of March 31, 6,843 people in 17 jails. Most people are being held pretrial, that is not convicted of anything. For examples close to home, the budget for the Hampshire County jail/House of Correction is $18 million to incarcerate 118 people. In Hampden County, the cost is more than $100 million to incarcerate 1,058 people, 604 held pre-trial.

Sheriffs are also complaining about no longer receiving a total of $4.5 million dollars (out of the $741 million) which they got from so-called “commissions,” that is kickbacks, on every item people purchased from jail commissaries which bilked loved ones who paid inflated prices for necessities such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste, envelopes, stamps, and snacks. According to the sheriffs, this money which they no longer receive due to a change in state law which unsuccessfully attempted to reign in the cost of commissary items, had gone to programs.

Why hundreds of millions of our tax dollars cannot pay for programs is unknown since the governor and legislators don’t ask sheriffs to defend their budgets, and sheriffs don’t voluntarily tell. Lois Ahrens, is the founder of The Real Cost of Prisons Project. A national organization based in Northampton, MA.

Lois Ahrens, foundwer of The Real Cost of Prisons Project

Northampton