AFSCME Local 419 is a union that represents the Correction Officers whom are employed by the Suffolk County Sheriff”s Department, House of Corrections, located at 20 Bradston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, Suffolk County. Suffolk County Massachusetts includes the cities of Boston, Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea, Massachusetts.

The House of Corrections was built in 1991 at a cost of $115 million to replace the antiquated jail on Deer Island. The HOC was designed to hold up to 900 inmates at one time, but it currently houses upwards of 1,900 at any given time. There are 674 cells and 32 different housing units at this modern facility.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department has a 12-week training academy for recruits to become corrections officers. Specific topics covered include: the use of force, firearm safety and handling, suicide prevention, courtroom testimony, ethics and professionalism, inmate education, fire safety, CPR and first aid, report writing, and interpersonal communication, among other topics. Recruits are also given physical training and are taught multiple defensive tactics.

The Honor Guard unit is frequently requested by various organizations to appear throughout Suffolk County and beyond to display the Colors for community functions, funerals, parades, and events.

The Sheriff’s Department currently has four K-9 teams. Two of the K-9s are German Shepherds that are cross-trained in patrol and narcotics detection and the two other dogs are Labradors that are trained in narcotics detection. These teams provide additional security and search for narcotics inside the House of Correction and Nashua Street Jail as well as assist other law enforcement agencies in searching for narcotics, fleeing felons, or lost children.

Local 419 Corrections Officers union came from the old Deer Island and was founded sometime in the 1960′s. Read more about the history of the House of Corrections here.