The Work of “The Sheriff of Light” – Worcester County MA County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis
Called the “Sheriff of Light” by some because his initiatives have brought good to the community, Sheriff Lew Evangelidis spoke with us about the work of the Worcester County Sheriff’s office. There’s so much more than what you might expect. So much more it took a full hour to talk about it. Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.
Background: Prior to becoming Sheriff, Evangelidis was a State Representative in the 1st Worcester District for 4 terms. Decades ago, he got a degree in economics and the law and practiced law. He has prosecuted offenders as an Assistant DA. He has taught Constitutional Law. Recently reelected to his 3rd term, the Sheriff has served for more than a dozen years as Worcester County Sheriff. The corrections facility is in West Boylston and houses people awaiting trial and those with sentences of 2 1/2 years or less.
At the beginning: The Sheriff explained how he had to turn around a department so the focus was not on politics and patronage, but on the mission of inmate rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. Our interview describes the various programs put in place to turn around the lives of offenders.
The Mission: As the sheriff stated, “I just figured we got to try something different here…and that was based on professionalism and public safety….We’ve made monumental changes, we’ve turned the ship around. We’ve got an incredible team…whether it be corrections, substance treatment, mental health, medical, education, reentry.”
Turning Lives Around: “We try to find those people who want to help themselves and give them a chance to do that.” Inmates get job skills, education, drug counseling and have support after leaving jail at Justice Support Centers in Fitchburg, Worcester, and Webster. Incarcerating an inmate costs $60,000 per year while the Sheriff’s diversion programs cost only $5,000 per year.
Unique Programs: Not having the funding to do it otherwise, Sheriff Evangelidis bought an entire kitchen from a school which was shutting down and was able to launch a Culinary program. He has brought unwanted dogs from shelters in to the K9 program. He distributes thousands of coats every year to the needy and describes all of that in great detail. And he averages 1000 people at the FREE Senior picnic every year.
Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is called the “Sheriff of Light” because he has a bright, loving heart. He wants to help inmates get skills and get clean so he doesn’t see them again. He reaches out in the community to help the needy. One of his programs actually produces hundreds of pounds of produce every day from about a 15 acre parcel. The Sheriff speaks to youth at High Schools knowing that if people stay away from drugs and alcohol, their chance of landing in prison drops more than 90 percent – he’s spoken now to many, many thousands of students.
On a lighter note: When we asked who could play him in a movie, the Sheriff said that Liam Neeson could play him and also told us the sheriff he likes from TV is Matt Dillion from Gunsmoke.
Then and Now: The Sheriff has been an elected position for over two hundred years. What the sheriff needs is more funding and the current correctional facility has needed replacement for years. The oldest building was built 50 years ago. The sheriff stated, “I love this job and I love this community, and I look forward to being up in Gardner and seeing everybody.