Search Berkshire County Recent Arrests

Recent arrests in Berkshire County are processed by local police departments and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office in Pittsfield. The county covers the westernmost part of Massachusetts, from North Adams down to Great Barrington. Arrest records in Berkshire County are public under Massachusetts law, and you can access them through the sheriff's office, police departments, courts, or the state CORI system. This page walks you through each option and explains what information is available when you search for recent arrests in Berkshire County.

Berkshire County Sheriff's Office

The Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction sits at 467 Cheshire Road in Pittsfield. You can reach the sheriff's office at (413) 443-7220. The Records Access Officer is at extension 1402. For written requests, the fax number is (413) 443-3899 and the email is info@sdb.state.ma.us. The Berkshire County Sheriff's page on the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association site has more details about the office.

The jail opened in 2001. It cost $39.1 million to build and covers 160,000 square feet. The facility is one of the most advanced county correctional centers in the Northeast. It holds an average of nearly 200 inmates each day. People arrested anywhere in Berkshire County may be booked here if they cannot make bail or if the charges require detention.

The screenshot above shows the Berkshire County Sheriff's profile, which provides contact details and background on the office handling recent arrests in the county.

How to Find Berkshire County Arrests

The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office website has an online inmate roster. Go to the inmate information section and enter a name, date of birth, or inmate ID. You can see custody status, charges, bail amounts, and expected release dates. This search is free and open to anyone.

For court records tied to Berkshire County arrests, use the MassCourts portal. It covers all courts in the county and lets you search by name or case number at no charge.

For a full background check, use the iCORI system run by the state. Personal checks cost $25. Open access is $50. Results come back right away for online searches. You can also visit the sheriff's office in person at 467 Cheshire Road during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Bring a completed public records request form and your ID. Inspection of records is free. Copies cost $0.05 to $0.10 per page.

Another free option is checking police daily logs. Pittsfield Police Department at 39 Allen Street has an Open Data Portal with arrest logs sorted by year. Their records division is open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can also visit the North Adams Police at 11 Summer Street or Great Barrington Police at 465 Main Street to check daily logs.

Berkshire County Criminal Courts

Criminal cases from recent arrests in Berkshire County go through several courts. The Berkshire County Superior Court at 76 East Street in Pittsfield handles serious felonies and civil cases over $50,000. Call (413) 442-9190 to reach the clerk's office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Three district courts cover Berkshire County. Central Berkshire District Court at 24 Wendell Avenue in Pittsfield takes misdemeanors and some felonies. Phone: (413) 443-8336. Northern Berkshire District Court at 111 Holden Street in North Adams serves the upper part of the county at (413) 663-5300. Southern Berkshire District Court at 9 Gilmore Avenue in Great Barrington covers the south at (413) 528-3333. The Berkshire Probate and Family Court sits at 44 Bank Row in Pittsfield. Reach them at (413) 442-6941.

Berkshire County Arrest Statistics

Berkshire County saw a big jump in arrests in 2023. The arrest rate hit 2,258.28 per 100,000 residents. That was an 87.74% increase over 2022 numbers. The crime rate was 1,724.92 per 100,000 people, up 74.71% from the year before. The crime clearance rate was 65.79%, meaning about two-thirds of reported crimes led to an arrest or other resolution.

These numbers cover arrests made by all police departments in Berkshire County, from Pittsfield (the largest department) to smaller town forces. Arrest records from all of these departments are public under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10. You can request records from the specific department that made the arrest or search through the court system.

Sealing Berkshire County Arrest Records

Arrest records from Berkshire County are permanent unless sealed or expunged. Massachusetts reduced its waiting periods in 2018. You can now seal a misdemeanor conviction after 3 years under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A. Felonies take 7 years. If your case was dismissed or you were acquitted, you may seal it right away under § 100C.

To get a record sealed, file a petition with the Commissioner of Probation. Call (617) 557-0225 for details. You can also check your eligibility at the state sealing portal. For expungement, which destroys the record entirely, look at the rules under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U. The expungement information page explains who qualifies.

Note: Mugshots from Berkshire County arrests may be restricted if releasing them would invade someone's privacy or if they involve juveniles.

Towns in Berkshire County

Berkshire County has no cities large enough for their own page on this site. The main towns are Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge, Williamstown, Adams, and Dalton. Each has a local police department that handles arrests. Pittsfield is the largest and busiest, with its own open data portal for arrest log access.

Nearby Counties

Berkshire County sits on the western edge of Massachusetts, bordering New York and Vermont. Within Massachusetts, it connects to two other counties.