Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger was sworn-in to his second term Wednesday, Jan. 11 by Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll in front of an audience of 250 at Lynn Classical High School.

Coppinger said the key to his mission in his second term is programming, treatment, rehabilitation, and re-entry with an emphasis on education, vocation, and clinical services.

“Today, we ask why are individuals incarcerated, what were the root causes of their behavior that brought them to commit crime, and what types of services and treatment options can we offer during their time with us,” Coppinger said. “The field of corrections today requires a balanced measure and approach, working hand-in-hand with law enforcement, the courts, social service providers, educators, community groups, families, and elected officials with the ultimate goal of providing the best in public safety for all.”

“Our goal is to develop individualized treatment plans that address those needs to the best of our abilities, given our budget, staffing, and space constraints.  To be effective, these treatment plans must be developed with the individual’s eventual return to his/her community in mind.  In other words, re-entry starts Day One,” Coppinger said. “I strongly believe that when inmates return to their communities they should return with a solid, well-defined aftercare plan in hand. Without one, they are doomed to failure along with a return to criminal behavior.”

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