For 22 years, Jim Cummings has served as sheriff of Barnstable County, winning reelection every six years. Cummings announced last week that he won't be running next year. He's retiring from a career in law enforcement that started back in 1974, when the young man from South Boston and Dorchester entered the State Police Academy. He joined host Sean Corcoran on Morning Edition to talk about his career. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Sean Corcoran: Let's start with where you work right now. You're in Bourne, [at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility]. How many people are detained in your jail and how many people work there? Just give us an overview.
Jim Cummings: Well, right now, as a result of the COVID pandemic, our population is down — this morning was 180; our average before the pandemic was about 425. Because of the great job our staff did and perhaps with a little luck, we didn't have one inmate come down with the virus up until today at all.
We've been doing a very good job of keeping the virus out of here, and that was after a lot of the advocate groups and attorney groups claimed that the jails were going to be petri dishes for the virus. You know — it kind of showed, and I don't mean to take a shot at them, but it kind of showed the lack of knowledge of what actually goes on in correctional facilities. We fight pandemics all the time, whether it's lice or bedbugs or HIV, we're probably the most experienced people in the state on knowing to how to handle a pandemic. The sheriffs in Massachusetts have done an outstanding job in fighting this pandemic and continue to do so.
Corcoran: I'd like to go back to 2004 when that jail was built. Around 2004, that's when we were at really the beginning of the opioid epidemic. Talk about how that tremendous surge in heroin has impacted your work.
Cummings: Moving into a new facility gave us the opportunity to increase our programing, and having recognized that opioid addiction was taking over corrections, we were able to advance our programing. We have a residential substance abuse treatment program, which has been very successful. And actually, we were the first in the state and maybe in the country to introduce Vivitrol, which is a non-narcotic drug to help fight opioid addiction and alcohol addiction. It deadens the senses in the brain so that an individual would get the euphoria you get from opioids or alcohol. Now every state in the Commonwealth is using Vivitrol, and it's spread across the entire country.
I can't tell you, when I go out in the community now, how many times I've had a parent or even a former addict come up to me and say, “hey, you know, you saved my life,” and there's certainly nothing more rewarding than having something like that happen.
Corcoran: Let’s talk a little about immigration. While immigration enforcement is largely a federal matter, it's the county jails that often find themselves deeply involved. I'd imagine that sheriffs, people who administer state-run jails, need clear understanding around who's detained until the feds arrive under what circumstances, using what protocols. So, my question is, have those things changed since you first became sheriff?
Cummings: Yeah, they have. Here in Barnstable, we take part in the 287(g) program that is designed for our jails. And what that entails is: The local, state police arrest somebody; they go to court. The court holds them on bail or without bail. When they come here, I have four deputy sheriffs that are trained and have access to the ICE databases so they can review their immigration status and see if they are here illegally. And then they have the ability to speed up the process of getting a detainer so we can hold them or set up a hearing.
I'm very much in favor of that because it enables us to keep our community safe. We are not releasing individuals that are here illegally and then charged with a criminal offense while they’re here from going back into the community, and that's that's a great concern to me. I don't want to be the one who let somebody go and then go back to one of the towns here in Barnstable County and commit a serious crime and then be identified as the one to let them back into the community.
Corcoran: We've seen sheriffs [be] very active, outspoken about immigration issues. I'm wondering if this is a change — you're in a political office. Have sheriffs always been outspoken about social issues and the issues that touch their work?
Cummings: Yeah, I believe so. Most of the sheriffs are are in constant contact with the legislature, and some of them are wise enough to give us a call before they pass a law that is going to affect sheriffs.
Just recently, I see that there's some talk in the legislature about doing more and telling sheriffs how to give inmates voter rights and help them get registered to vote. And, you know, we have always done that. But again, the problem is that most of these folks that come here have no interest in voting, and we can't make them vote — they’d rather watch “The Price Is Right” than vote.
I think our average sentences is nine months. So, they're not here that long, but we do our best to get people to vote. If someone wants to vote and is serious about it, we'll make sure they get the vote.
Corcoran: We've been reporting at GBH News that there has been a slipping interest in people going into law enforcement. Police academies around the state have called recent enrollment numbers depressing. Are you seeing that? What do you think is behind it?
Cummings: Absolutely we are. And we have a class now, just started three weeks ago, we had hoped to have 20 to fill the demand inside the facility, and we only have seven. We've already started recruiting and testing for another class in January.
I think it's, you know, the national issues that have kind of dragged law enforcement and public safety through the gutter over the past year and a half, you know, people say, “why do I want to get involved in that?” They hear things about getting sued because they’re a police officer and losing their home if immunity is taken away. So there are certainly other avenues to follow and not have to put up with that aggravation. And I'm hoping it's short term and we can start getting some good candidates back so we can fill these positions.
Corcoran: After 22 years of serving as Barnstable County Sheriff Jim Cummings is retiring. Sheriff, thanks for coming in to talk about your work and your career.
Cummings: Sean, thanks, pleasure. Always good to talk to you.
