Search Berkshire County Inmate Population
Berkshire County holds its inmate population at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction in Pittsfield. The facility opened on January 5, 2001 and sits on 25 acres with 160,000 square feet of space. It has 288 cells spread across eight two-tiered housing units, with a total capacity of about 500 inmates. Berkshire County does not have a comprehensive online inmate roster, so searching for someone in custody requires calling the jail, visiting in person, or using the statewide VINE system. This page explains all of the ways to look up the Berkshire County inmate population and how to get records from the sheriff's office.
Berkshire County Jail Overview
Berkshire County Sheriff's Office
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and manages all aspects of the inmate population. The main facility is at 467 Cheshire Road in Pittsfield, MA 01201. Call the front desk at 413-443-7220 for general questions. The fax number is 413-499-7200.
The Civil Process Division operates from a separate location at 264 Second Street in Pittsfield. That office handles service of court papers, restraining orders, and evictions. The civil process phone is 413-443-6841 and email is civilprocess@berkshirecivil.com. This is a different function from the jail side of the sheriff's office, but both fall under the same department.
The screenshot below shows the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office website.
Berkshire County Sheriff's Office website
The site provides contact information and details about programs at the facility.
| Agency | Berkshire County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Facility | Berkshire County Jail & HOC |
| Address | 467 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
| Phone | 413-443-7220 |
| Fax | 413-499-7200 |
| Website | bcsoma.org |
How to Search the Berkshire County Inmate Population
Berkshire County does not post a full inmate roster online. If you need to find out whether someone is in custody at the Berkshire County Jail, your main options are phone, in-person visit, or VINE. The jail does not have a web-based search tool like some other Massachusetts counties offer.
Call 413-443-7220 to ask about an inmate. Give staff the person's full legal name. They can confirm whether the person is in custody and provide basic status info. For in-person inquiries, go to the jail at 467 Cheshire Road during business hours. Bring a valid ID. Staff at the front desk can look up inmates for you on the spot.
VINELink is a free tool that lets you search for inmates and register for release notifications. It works for Berkshire County and most other Massachusetts counties. You can search by name and get basic custody status. If you register for alerts, the system will call, email, or text you when the person's status changes. This is useful for crime victims who want to know when someone gets out.
Court records provide another angle. The MassCourts system shows case dockets from Berkshire County courts. You can search by name or case number to see charges, hearing dates, and outcomes. It won't tell you if someone is currently in jail, but it helps you track a case through the court system.
Visiting the Inmate Population
The Berkshire County Jail allows in-person visits Monday through Friday only. There are no weekend visits. Visiting hours run from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM each evening. You must arrive by 6:30 PM to be processed in time. The facility assigns visiting days by housing pod so that not all pods have visitors on the same night.
The pod schedule works like this: Monday is Pod F, Tuesday is Pod E, Wednesday is Pod A, Thursday is Pod B, and Friday is Pod C. You need to know which pod your person is in before you show up. Call ahead to find out. Each inmate can have up to five people on their approved visitor list. Per visit, up to two adults and two minors can come at the same time. Inmates get one visit per week.
Video visits are also available through Securus Technologies. This option lets you visit by video from home using a computer or smartphone. You need to set up an account with Securus first. Video visits can be a good option if you live far from Pittsfield or if weather makes the trip hard, which happens often in winter in the Berkshires.
Public Records Requests
Massachusetts public records law applies to the Berkshire County inmate population. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, you can request records from the sheriff's office. The Records Access Officer is Daniel Sheridan, Assistant Superintendent and General Counsel. Reach him at 413-443-7220 extension 1402 or by email at daniel.sheridan@sdb.state.ma.us.
The fee structure is worth knowing before you submit a request. The first four hours of staff time to search for and compile records are free. After that, staff time costs $25 per hour. Copies run $0.05 to $0.10 per page depending on the format. Certified copies cost $1 to $3 each. These fees are set by state regulation and are consistent with what other counties charge under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7.
The sheriff's office has 10 business days to respond. If they deny your request, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Records. The state public records portal explains the appeal steps and has forms you can use.
Commissary and Inmate Accounts
Inmates at the Berkshire County Jail can buy items from the commissary through Access Corrections. Friends and family can add money to an inmate's account in several ways. The jail lobby has a kiosk that accepts cash. You can also send a money order by mail. There are deposit limits in place: $300 for a single deposit, $500 per week, and $1,500 per month.
Commissary items include snacks, hygiene products, writing supplies, and other basics. Orders are placed on a set schedule. The jail posts the current commissary list and prices on site. Funds deposited into an inmate's account can also be used for phone calls and other paid services.
Berkshire County Courts
Berkshire County has several courts that handle criminal cases. The inmate population at the county jail comes from cases heard in these courts. Knowing which court handled a case can help you find the right records.
Berkshire Superior Court is at 76 East Street in Pittsfield. The phone number is 413-442-9190. This court handles serious felony cases. Central Berkshire District Court is at 24 Wendell Avenue, also in Pittsfield, at 413-443-8336. Northern Berkshire District Court sits at 111 Holden Street in North Adams, reachable at 413-663-5300. Southern Berkshire District Court is at 9 Gilmore Avenue in Great Barrington at 413-528-3333. Each court has its own clerk's office where you can request case files.
You can search court records online through MassCourts. The system shows docket entries for cases in all of these courts. If you need physical copies of court documents, contact the clerk at the specific court where the case was heard.
Statewide Resources
The state prison search tool on mass.gov covers inmates in the Massachusetts Department of Correction system. Use it if you think the person has been sentenced to more than two and a half years. County jails like Berkshire hold shorter sentences and pretrial detainees only.
The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association has links to all 14 county sheriff offices. Under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, each sheriff has authority over operations at their county facility. Policies on visiting, phone use, and mail can differ from one county to the next.
Cities in Berkshire County
Berkshire County includes Pittsfield, North Adams, Adams, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Williamstown, and many smaller towns. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All inmates from Berkshire County are held at the jail on Cheshire Road in Pittsfield.
Nearby Counties
Berkshire County sits on the western edge of Massachusetts. If the person you are looking for was arrested in an adjacent county, they would be held at that county's jail.