BOSTON — When former Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger took over as Essex County’s sheriff nearly six years ago, he never expected to play the role of a reformer.
But a few years after taking over the helm, the veteran law enforcement officer found himself at the center of a national debate over whether to allow medication-assisted treatment in jails and correctional facilities to help blunt the impact of a wave of opioid addiction that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Initially, Coppinger resisted the idea over concerns about allowing the use of drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine behind bars, which are commonly diverted by inmates and sold for use in jails and correctional facilities.
But he was forced to embrace the controversial approach after a U.S. District Court judge ruled against the state. That 2018 lawsuit forced the Middleton House of Corrections to provide methadone treatment to an Ipswich man serving a 60-day mandatory jail term for a driving offense.
A pilot program created as part of a 2018 opioid-related bill signed by Gov. Charlie Baker authorized sheriffs to offer medication treatment to inmates serving time or awaiting trial in seven county jails, including Essex and Middlesex.
“It was a real change in culture,” Coppinger said during a recent visit with the North of Boston Media Group editorial board. “We had spent all this money over the years trying to keep the stuff out, and now we’re bringing it in.”
But as he seeks another six-year term as sheriff, Coppinger is embracing those reforms and stressing his work to expand access to anti-addiction drugs and other support for inmates. He said the changes have saved lives and made the Middleton facility a “national model” for jail-based medication-assisted treatment.
“We’re trying to be proactive by dealing with the roots of incarceration,” he said. “About two-thirds of our inmates have some form of substance abuse disorder, over 50% have mental health issues, and some have both.”
He argues that the medication-assisted treatment program is reducing recidivism at the Middleton jail and wants to expand the reforms if re-elected to another term.
“Law enforcement is on the front lines of both the opioid and mental health crises and the ones leading the way in finding solutions,” Coppinger’s campaign said in a recent statement. “It is why experience and relationships matter in this job.”
In the Sept. 6 primary Coppinger faces a challenge from Virginia Leigh, a Lynn social worker who argues he hasn’t done enough to improve access to substance-abuse treatment and mental health services for inmates.
Coppinger pushes back against those claims, pointing out that the Medication Assisted Treatment Center at the Middleton jail — which dispenses suboxone, methadone and vivitrol to inmates with opioid addiction — was the first of its kind and has been credited as a national model.
The sheriff’s office contracts with two providers, Wellpath and Acadia Health, to administer the program. More than 740 inmates went through the program last year, according to the office.
Coppinger said the program helps inmates dealing with opioid addiction stay on their medication and complete programs while they are serving time, but also helps maintain order in the jail, one of the state’s largest houses of correction.
“We’ve seen a reduction in aggressive behavior because people are getting help,” he said. “If an inmate is stable and on their medication, they’re less likely to act out.”
Besides Massachusetts, only a handful of states — including New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington — provide methadone and buprenorphine to inmates.
To date, only Massachusetts and Rhode Island provide all three FDA-approved medications to inmates.
Coppinger said he has also focused on improving access to mental health services and reentry programs to help inmates get their lives back on track.
“We want to try to help them while they’re here and make sure that when they leave the jail they have services in the community,” he said.
To offset the financial impact, Coppinger said he has roped in tens of millions of dollars in federal grant money to expand treatment programs, workforce training and educational programming for inmates.
There are no Republican candidates in the race, so the winner of the Democratic primary would essentially get a free pass to another six-year term.
The sheriff’s office operates on a nearly $77 million budget with about 600 employees. In 2021, the sheriff’s job paid $161,183 with benefits.
Coppinger was first elected in 2016, after winning a crowded Democratic primary vying to replace veteran Sheriff Frank Cousins, a Republican. He worked as a Lynn police officer for 32 years, including seven years as chief. He has a master’s degree from Anna Maria College and is a graduate of the FBI’s academy in Virginia.
He’s been campaigning mostly by attending community gatherings and other events, “pounding the pavement” and shaking hands with potential voters.
He said he finds he spends as much time explaining to people what the sheriff does as telling them about his candidacy.
The Irish-Catholic who grew up in Lynn and followed his father into policing said he doesn’t care much for politicking, but understands it comes with the job.
“I’m still new to politics, and I don’t consider myself a liberal or conservative. I’m a realist,” Coppinger said. “I’m looking for a balance and what works best.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
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