Hampshire County Arrest Records

Recent arrests in Hampshire County are processed through local police departments and the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office in Northampton. The county sits in western Massachusetts and includes college towns like Amherst and Northampton along with smaller rural communities. Hampshire County arrest records are public under state law, and you can search them through the sheriff's office, local police logs, the court system, or the statewide CORI database. This page covers the main ways to look up arrest information in Hampshire County and what you can expect to find.

Hampshire County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Patrick J. Cahillane heads the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office at 205 Rocky Hill Road in Northampton. The office runs the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction, which holds both pretrial detainees and inmates serving sentences up to 2.5 years. You can reach the main office at (413) 584-5911. The phone line runs 24 hours a day, so you can call any time to ask about someone who was recently arrested.

The facility has maximum, medium, and minimum security units. It includes medical and mental health areas, substance abuse treatment programs, educational spaces, and vocational training. There is also a pre-release center on the same property for inmates close to finishing their sentences. Work release and life skills programs are part of the pre-release setup. Female inmates from Hampshire County go to the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center at 701 Center Street in Chicopee, which is in Hampden County. That facility can be reached at (413) 858-0914.

You can call the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office to ask about people booked in the Hampshire County jail.

Search Hampshire County Recent Arrests

There are multiple ways to find arrest records in Hampshire County. The method you pick depends on what kind of records you need and how fast you want them.

The sheriff's website has an inmate search tool. Enter a first and last name to see who is in custody. Results show the person's name, ID number, custody status, booking date, and expected release date. This search is free. You can also call the jail at (413) 584-5911 at any hour. Give the staff a full name and date of birth, and they can tell you if someone is there. They may ask about your relationship to the inmate.

For court records from Hampshire County arrests, try the MassCourts portal. It is free and covers all courts in the county. The Hampshire County Superior Court at 15 Gothic Street in Northampton handles serious felony cases. Its number is (413) 584-5810. The Northampton District Court, also at 15 Gothic Street, takes misdemeanors and lower-level felonies. Reach them at (413) 584-7400. There is also a Belchertown District Court at 2 State Street.

The iCORI system from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services gives you a background check that includes arrest data. A personal check costs $25. Open access for the public is $50. You need a valid Massachusetts ID to register. Results come back right away for online requests.

The Massachusetts record sealing portal is another useful tool if you need to address a Hampshire County arrest on your record.

The screenshot above shows the state portal for checking if you can seal a criminal record from Hampshire County or elsewhere in Massachusetts.

Note: Police daily logs in Hampshire County are public records you can inspect at any local station for free.

Hampshire County Arrest Records Access

Arrest records in Hampshire County are public under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10. This means anyone can ask to see them. You can make a request in person at the Records Division during business hours, send a letter to the Records Access Officer at 205 Rocky Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060, or contact the office by phone. The sheriff has 10 business days to respond. Copies cost $0.05 per page, and the first two hours of search time are free.

A Hampshire County arrest record can include the person's name, date of birth, aliases, physical description, mugshot, fingerprints, the charges, the arresting officer's details, and court dates with bail amounts. Some information is off limits. Medical records, mental health data, Social Security numbers, disciplinary records, and victim information cannot be released to the public under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7(26).

The arresting police department is often the best source for arrest reports. The sheriff's office holds inmate records but does not always have the police report itself. Contact the town that made the arrest. Major departments include Northampton Police at (413) 587-1100, Amherst Police at (413) 259-3000, and Easthampton Police at (413) 527-4141.

Sealing Records in Hampshire County

An arrest in Hampshire County goes on your record and stays there unless you take action. Massachusetts lets people seal or expunge certain records, but you have to file a petition. The rules changed in 2018. Misdemeanor convictions can be sealed 3 years after the case closes under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A. Felonies take 7 years.

Non-conviction records from Hampshire County can be sealed without a wait. If your case was dismissed or you were found not guilty, you can ask the court to seal it under § 100C. The 2023 Supreme Judicial Court ruling in Commonwealth v. J.F. made not guilty findings seal on their own. You can check if you qualify through the state sealing portal. For expungement, which destroys the record completely, you must meet stricter rules under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U. This applies mainly to offenses committed before age 21 or records made by mistake.

The Massachusetts Probation Service handles sealing. Call (617) 557-0225 for information. You can also get free help from local legal aid organizations.

Hampshire County Inmate Notifications

VINELink is a free service that lets you track inmates and get alerts when their custody status changes. You can search by name or offender ID. Call (866) 277-7477 for phone access. Not all Hampshire County inmates show up in VINELink, so the sheriff's office is still the most reliable source for current arrest and custody information.

The Sex Offender Registry Board is another state resource. Level 3 offenders and Level 2 offenders classified after July 2013 can be searched online. Contact local police departments for information about Level 1 offenders. The board's phone number is (978) 740-6400.

Towns in Hampshire County

Hampshire County has no cities large enough for a dedicated page on this site. Major towns include Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, South Hadley, Belchertown, and Ware. Each town has its own police department that processes arrests before detainees are transferred to the county jail in Northampton.

Northampton is the largest community and the county seat. Amherst is home to the University of Massachusetts and several other colleges. Both towns see more arrest activity than the smaller rural communities in the county.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hampshire County. Each has its own sheriff's office and court system for handling arrests.