About Union 575
The County Correctional Officers Association (C.C.O.A.) Union 575 is an independent labor organization representing over 140 correction officers at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) in Dedham, Massachusetts. Our members are dedicated professionals responsible for the supervision, safety, and care of more than 350 individuals housed at the NCSO, including pretrial detainees held on charges ranging from operating under the influence and domestic violence to drug offenses and homicide, as well as sentenced inmates serving court-ordered terms of incarceration.
A Legacy of Law and Order
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office is one of Massachusetts' oldest law enforcement agencies, established in 1793 when Governor John Hancock appointed Ebenezer Thayer as the county's first High Sheriff. For over six decades the position remained a gubernatorial appointment before transitioning to an elected office in 1856 — a structure that remains in place today. The office gained national notoriety in 1920 when it held anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were ultimately executed in 1927 after one of the most controversial trials in American history. Among the office's most notable leaders was Sheriff Samuel Capen, who served an extraordinary 41 years beginning in 1898.
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The Old Dedham Jail
Built in 1817, designed with a central octagonal block and radiating wings in a T-shaped, Latin cross layout constructed of quarry-faced ashlar granite. The old jail was infamous for holding Sacco and Vanzetti for seven years during their trial and appeals from 1920 to 1927.
Norfolk County Correctional Center
Also located in Dedham, opened in 1992 as a 502 bed facility holding both inmates awaiting trial and those serving sentences.
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The New Age
The NCSO has undergone significant modernization over the centuries. Its original historic stone jail on Village Avenue in Dedham — a landmark of 19th century correctional architecture — has since been converted into luxury condominiums. In 1992, the current Norfolk County Correctional Center opened on West Street in Dedham, distinguished by its unique location between the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 128 (I-95). In 2010, the office transitioned to a state agency while retaining its elected sheriff structure. Today, under Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott, elected in 2020, the office serves 28 municipalities across Norfolk County.