Facility Operations
Jason B. Kilgour
Assistant Superintendent
The Facility Operations division is responsible for all aspects of in and outdoor maintenance of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, as well as many crucial operations performed on a daily basis.
Tool Control Program - A facility-wide tool control program which establishes guidelines for standardized tool control. Further, the unit is responsible for the storage, use and control of flammable, toxic and caustic materials in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and standards relative to the Massachusetts Right-to-Know Law, M.G.L, c.111F.
Food Services - This unit provides more than 245,000 meals per year to meet the varied nutritional needs of the incarcerated population within the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Through innovative initiatives and the aggressive search for economic food purchases, the unit produces three meals a day for each inmate at a low total cost. The unit also provides wholesome and nutritious meals for special therapeutic and religious menus. The food service staff offers a food safety training program to the inmates to prepare for gainful employment upon completion of their incarceration.
Property - This unit regulates the amount and type of property authorized for retention by inmates in order to maintain security, safety and sanitation, and to ensure the accountability of personal property stored at the facility. The unit is equipped with a conveyor, carts, tables, racks and equipment which make it possible to maintaining an up-to-date inventory. The unit is also responsible for the disposition of excess, unauthorized and abandoned property.
Laundry - The unit is responsible to provide inmates with clean and suitable clothing, linen and bedding, as well as on-site service for regular laundering. Each housing unit is provided with a schedule of laundry pick up, washing and the return of laundered items. The unit also provides a monthly blanket exchange and services for contaminated laundry.
Vehicle Maintenance - This unit is responsible for the preventative maintenance and cleanliness of the vehicles assigned to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office fleet. Inmates assigned to this unit perform oil changes, tune ups and brakes, as well as routine and diagnostic testing to determine the origin of problems.
Auto Detailing Program - The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Auto Detailing program is a grant funded, vocational program designed to teach inmates a marketable skill. Six months in length, the program offers eight weeks of training followed by a four month practicum. Students are supervised by certified mechanics/officers, who were trained at the Detail King Auto Detailing Training Institute; Pittsburgh, PA. The course work consists of interior and exterior cleaning, as well as reconditioning. In order to graduate from the course, participants must show a mastery of auto detailing specifics.
Initial coursework is focused on operational issues designed to teach the student evaluation techniques for reconditioning. Some of the information imparted is how to determine paint type and condition, evaluation of acid rain damage and environmental fallout, evaluation for oxidation damage and the base coat/clear coat process and how to protect the paint. Secondly, students are introduced to equipment and products used in the auto detailing business including polishers and cleaners, orbital polishers, variable speed buffers and the use of the heated soil extractor.
Lastly, the students are taught chemical and equipment overview that teaches them how to use various equipment and the correct methods and steps for detailing a car. They learn about polishes, glazes, compounds, sealants, soaps and degreasers. Additionally they learn about brushes for scrubbing, washing and detailing, as well as dressing and wax applicators. Finally they learn the use of electric, gas and pneumatic equipment.
Throughout the coursework, students are taught about professionalism, customer service and basic business concepts. To graduate the program, they are responsible for detailing several automobiles on their own, as well as displaying mastery of concepts and operations.
Inmates are eligible for the program by determining the severity of their charges, past criminal history and their behavior while incarcerated. All inmates in the program are designated "minimum security" which means they have not committed an assaultive felony, they have participated in programs, and they have exhibited "model inmate" behavior. A stipend of the cost charged goes into the inmate's savings account enabling him to save for housing upon release, pay fines and court costs, and help support his family while incarcerated. This vocational program is self-sustaining by fees and receives no money from the Sheriff's budget.
Records - This unit is responsible for the maintenance of records of all committed offenders, including mittimuses, writs of habeas corpus, inmate files, police and probation reports, incident and disciplinary reports, CORI-A information, Classification information, DNA data base, Sexual Offender Registry and Victim Notification. The unit computes sentences and awards good time under Chapter 127, Section 129D for all sentenced inmates, processes warrants and summonses and prepares reports with regard to admissions and release of all committed offenders.
Communications - This unit has the responsibility to maintain a two-way radio network licensed by the Federal Communication Commission and is used for routine and emergency use. The facility is equipped with hand-held units as well as mobile units.