Brookline Booking Releases

Brookline booking releases are processed through the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office at the correctional center in Dedham. When the Brookline Police Department makes an arrest, the person goes through initial processing at the station on Washington Street and then gets moved to the county jail. Norfolk County does not have an online inmate search tool, so you need to call, email, or visit in person to check on a booking release. This page explains how to look up Brookline booking releases, what they contain, and how to get copies through a formal records request.

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Norfolk County Handles Brookline Bookings

Brookline is part of Norfolk County, and all county jail operations run through the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office. The main facility is the Norfolk County Correctional Center at 200 West Street, Dedham, MA 02026. When the Brookline Police Department arrests someone, that person ends up at this facility for full booking. The sheriff's office phone is (781) 329-3705. You can also reach them at (781) 329-3700.

Norfolk County became a state agency on January 1, 2010. During its audit period, 4,350 inmates passed through its custody. The office uses the Offender Management System to track bookings and releases. It also uses the Correctional Electronic Medical Records system for health data, which stays separate from the public booking release.

Norfolk County Correctional Center

The correctional center in Dedham is where all Brookline booking releases get created and stored. It houses male pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates with terms up to 2.5 years. The facility sits at 200 West Street. Hours for phone inquiries about booking releases are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. That is more limited than some other counties in Massachusetts, which take calls around the clock.

Norfolk County also runs a Community Correctional Center at 191 Parkingway in Quincy, MA 02169. That facility can be reached at (617) 471-7272. It handles community programs and re-entry support. Booking release records are kept at the Dedham facility, not the Quincy one.

The Brookline Police Department sits at 350 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02445. Their phone is (617) 730-2222. They handle the arrest and initial paperwork. Once the person leaves Brookline PD custody, the booking release record lives with Norfolk County.

Note: Norfolk County phone inquiry hours are limited to weekdays, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, so plan your calls accordingly for Brookline booking release checks.

How to Search Brookline Booking Releases

Norfolk County does not have an online inmate search. You cannot look up Brookline booking releases from a website. There are three ways to get the info you need, and each one involves direct contact with the sheriff's office or the courts.

The first option is a phone call. Dial (781) 329-3705 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Give the staff the full name of the person and their date of birth. They can confirm whether that person is booked at the Norfolk County Correctional Center and give you basic custody status info. This is the quickest method for a simple check on a Brookline arrest.

The second option is email. Send your inquiry to info@norfolksheriffma.org. Include the inmate's name, date of birth, and your own contact info. This takes longer than a phone call but gives you a written response you can keep for your records. There is no set turnaround time listed for email inquiries, so follow up if you do not hear back within a few days.

Third, go to the Norfolk County Correctional Center at 200 West Street in Dedham. Bring a government-issued ID. Visit hours for inquiries are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Under MGL c. 66, § 10, you have the right to access public records. File a written request on site and the agency has 10 business days to respond.

You can also check court records. Norfolk Superior Court is at 650 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026. Call (781) 326-1600 for case info tied to a Brookline booking release.

What Brookline Booking Releases Contain

A Brookline booking release holds the standard set of data used across Norfolk County. The person's full legal name, date of birth, and any aliases come first. Physical details go in next: height, weight, and identifying marks like scars or tattoos. A booking photo and fingerprints are part of the intake process at the Dedham facility.

The record also includes the booking date and time, the arresting agency (Brookline Police Department), charges with statute codes, and bail or bond info. If the person gets released, the record shows the date, type, and conditions. Types of release include sentence expiration, parole, court release, and transfer to another agency. Under MGL c. 126, § 16, Norfolk County handles pre-trial holds and sentences up to 2.5 years. If a sentence is longer, the person transfers to the state DOC and those records are kept in a different system entirely.

Private info stays private. Medical files, mental health data, and security papers do not come out in a public records request for Brookline booking releases.

Requesting Brookline Booking Release Records

To get official copies of Brookline booking releases, send a written request to the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office at 200 West Street, P.O. Box 149, Dedham, MA 02026. You can also email info@norfolksheriffma.org or walk in to the facility during business hours. Include the person's name, date of birth, and any dates you believe they were in custody. Cite the Massachusetts Public Records Law in your request.

Under 950 CMR 32, the first two hours of search time are free. Copy costs run $0.05 to $0.10 per page. You should hear back within 10 business days. For booking releases tied to state prison time, reach the DOC Records Access Officer at doc.rao@state.ma.us or (508) 422-3436.

Massachusetts law permits sealing of certain records. Under MGL c. 276, § 100A, misdemeanor booking releases can be sealed after 3 years and felonies after 7 years. The process goes through the Commissioner of Probation. Under MGL c. 276, § 100C, charges that get dropped or end in a not guilty verdict are sealed automatically. That booking release from the Brookline arrest goes away from public view at that point. Law enforcement can still access sealed records.

Note: CORI regulations under MGL c. 6, §§ 167-178B may restrict what Brookline booking release data gets shared depending on the requester's identity and purpose.