Middlesex County Booking Releases

Middlesex County booking releases track who gets taken into custody and who gets let out of the county jail in Billerica, Massachusetts. The Middlesex Sheriff's Office does not have an online inmate search tool, so you need to call the jail or visit in person to check on someone's booking status. Court records through the Clerk of Court in Cambridge offer another way to look up case data tied to an arrest. This page covers how to search for Middlesex County booking releases, what the records hold, and who to call for help. Over 7,300 inmates passed through this facility during its last audit period, so the staff handles a high volume of booking release requests.

Middlesex Sheriff's Office Booking Records

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office runs the jail and house of correction at 269 Treble Cove Road in Billerica, MA 01862. This is where all Middlesex County booking releases come from. The phone number is (978) 667-1711, and staff answer calls around the clock. The office became an independent state agency on July 11, 1997. It uses the Inmate Case Management System to log every booking and release that takes place at the facility.

During its most recent audit, the Middlesex County jail had 7,385 inmates pass through its doors. Of those, 1,253 were pretrial detainees who had not yet been convicted. Another 4,678 were sentenced inmates serving time. The rest, 1,443 people, were regionally arrested and held on a short-term basis. These numbers show just how busy the booking process is in Middlesex County. Each one of those inmates had a booking release record created when they came in and when they left.

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office also has an administrative office at 12 Gill Street, Suite 4700, in Woburn. That office handles some paperwork but is not the place to go for booking release records. For those, you want the Billerica jail.

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office homepage provides general info about the facility and its programs.

This site lists contact info, visitation rules, and other resources for people who need to reach the jail. It does not offer a way to search for inmates online, which is a key gap compared to some other Massachusetts counties.

How to Search Middlesex County Booking Releases

There are three ways to look up booking releases in Middlesex County. None of them work online. You have to use the phone, visit the courthouse, or go to the jail in person. Here is how each method works.

The first option is a court records search. The Middlesex County Clerk of Court at 208 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02141 keeps records tied to arrests and cases in the county. You can call (617) 494-4000 or go in person. Give them the person's last name. The clerk can pull up the nature of the arrest, what they were charged with, case outcomes, and bail conditions. This is the best way to find details about a specific case tied to a Middlesex County booking release.

The second option is a phone call. Dial (978) 667-1711 at any hour. The jail runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Give the staff the full legal name of the person you want to check on. A date of birth helps narrow the search. If you have a booking number, even better. The staff can tell you if that person is currently in custody at the Middlesex County jail.

Third, you can go to the jail at 269 Treble Cove Road in Billerica. Bring a government-issued ID. Visit hours for inquiries run from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily. Under MGL c. 66, § 10, you have a right to access public records, and booking releases fall under that law. The jail must respond to your request within 10 business days if you put it in writing.

What Middlesex County Booking Releases Contain

A Middlesex County booking release record holds a standard set of data. The Inmate Case Management System tracks all of it from the moment a person walks into the jail until they leave. Every record starts with the basics: full legal name, date of birth, and any known aliases. Physical details like height, weight, and marks such as tattoos or scars go in next. A booking photo gets taken at intake along with fingerprints.

The record also logs the booking date and time, the arresting agency, and the charges filed. Bond or bail info shows up too, including the amount set and whether it was posted. If the person gets released, the record shows when, how, and under what conditions. MGL c. 126, § 16 draws the line between county jails and state prisons. Middlesex County handles pretrial holds and sentences up to 2.5 years. Longer sentences go to the state DOC, and those booking releases are kept in a different system.

Some parts of the record stay private. Medical files and mental health data are off limits. Security classification papers and victim info do not come out in a public request. Under MGL c. 6, §§ 167-178B, which governs CORI, certain data is restricted based on who asks for it and why.

Requesting Middlesex Booking Release Records

You can file a public records request for Middlesex County booking releases by mail or in person. There is no online form for this. Send a written request to the Middlesex Sheriff's Office at 269 Treble Cove Road, Billerica, MA 01862. Include the full name and date of birth of the person, plus any dates you think they were in custody. Cite the Massachusetts Public Records Law in your letter.

The sheriff's office has a Records Office on site. Walk in during business hours with your ID. Staff can help you fill out the right forms. Under 950 CMR 32, the first two hours of search time are free. After that, fees may apply. Copies cost between $0.05 and $0.10 per page at most county facilities in Massachusetts. The agency has 10 business days to respond once they get your written request.

For state prison records, the process is different. Contact the DOC Records Access Officer by email at doc.rao@state.ma.us or call (508) 422-3436. That office handles inmates with sentences over 2.5 years who are not held at the Middlesex County jail.

Middlesex County also offers on-site and remote video visitation for people who want to see inmates. Different pods have different schedules, so call the facility to get the right times. Visitation is separate from records access, but some people want both.

Sealed Records and Middlesex Booking Releases

Massachusetts law allows certain booking releases to be sealed. This means they will not show up in a standard search. Under MGL c. 276, § 100C, if charges get dropped or a person is found not guilty, the booking release tied to that case should be sealed automatically. You do not have to file extra paperwork for that.

For older records, MGL c. 276, § 100A sets the timelines. Misdemeanors can be sealed after 3 years. Felonies take 7 years. Sex offenses need 15 years or more. The sealing process goes through the Commissioner of Probation, not through the Middlesex Sheriff's Office directly. Once sealed, a booking release will not appear in public searches, though law enforcement agencies can still see it.

County jails in Massachusetts must follow 103 CMR 932, which sets baseline standards for how they keep and share records. This regulation covers everything from healthcare to record-keeping at the Middlesex County facility in Billerica. MGL c. 127, § 119 also lets inmates earn good conduct credits. Those credits can change a release date, which in turn updates the booking release record.

Cities in Middlesex County

Middlesex County has several major cities. Arrests in these cities go through the Middlesex County jail in Billerica for booking and release processing.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Middlesex County. Each has its own sheriff's office and booking release process.