The South Bay House of Correction is located at:
20 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118
and is operated by the sheriff’s office that serves Suffolk County.
In Massachusetts, most people are first booked at the lockup of the police department that arrested them, where officers take fingerprints and a photo and the person waits for bail to be set or for court to open. The South Bay House of Correction then receives people a judge has ordered held, along with arrests that some local departments bring in directly. On arrival, staff repeat identification, record property, check for warrants and complete a medical screening before assigning housing.
The Massachusetts State Police and other state agencies use this system as well, and federal prisoners, including those held for the U.S. Marshals, may be housed in some sheriff’s facilities under contract.
The public roster is drawn from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide listing. Where allowed, it may show a photo, the charges and the arresting agency. For details that are missing or unclear, call the South Bay House of Correction at 617-635-1000 x2017.
When someone is arrested outside court hours, a clerk magistrate or bail commissioner can come to the police station or jail to set bail or release the person on personal recognizance. State law allows that official to charge a fee of up to $40, which is separate from the bail itself. Otherwise, the person is held for arraignment in District Court, usually the next business day. Under a 2006 Supreme Judicial Court decision, a person arrested without a warrant must have a probable cause determination within 24 hours.
Commercial bail bonding is not formally illegal in Massachusetts, but it has effectively disappeared, so bail is almost always posted in cash by family or friends. Judges must consider a person’s ability to pay when setting bail. See our Bail page for how to post it.
In its 2017 Lunn v. Commonwealth decision, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Massachusetts law gives court officers and local police no authority to keep someone in custody solely because of a federal ICE detainer. Some cities, including Boston under its Trust Act, further limit cooperation with immigration agents. People in ICE custody can be located with the ICE Detainee Locator.
Moving from the intake door to a housing unit or release can take as little as a couple of hours or most of a day, depending on how many people are being processed.
Start by calling the South Bay House of Correction at 617-635-1000 x2017. If the person was arrested recently, it also helps to call the police department that made the arrest, because many people stay in a police lockup until arraignment.
Staff may confirm custody only after you give the person’s date of birth, which protects their privacy.
Records for a fresh arrest can take a few hours to update.
The South Bay House of Correction Booking Roster lets you search online instead of calling.
After an arrest in Suffolk County, the person is usually booked at the arresting department’s station, then either released on bail or brought to court and, if held, committed to the sheriff’s custody.
Each stage involves paperwork and questions. Defense attorneys generally recommend staying quiet about the charges, because statements to officers can be written down or recorded and offered against the person in court.
Expect a booking photo, fingerprints, a long intake interview and a warrant check covering Suffolk County, the rest of Massachusetts and other states. Massachusetts generally collects DNA after a qualifying conviction rather than at arrest.
In an OUI arrest, refusing a breath test leads to an immediate license suspension under state law, and a blood test for alcohol generally requires the person’s consent.
Before entering housing, people are searched, which can include a body scanner or metal detector and, under the facility’s rules, a strip search.
Officers and nurses ask about medical history, prescriptions, allergies, substance use and withdrawal risk, suicidal thoughts, gang involvement, tattoos and anyone in the facility the person should be kept away from. The answers guide classification and any special care.
Personal belongings are listed on a property receipt and locked up until the person leaves. If the person signs a release, a family member or friend can often collect certain items sooner.
Items taken include clothing, money, wallets, purses, phones, jewelry, piercings, watches, belts and, if they pose a risk, eyeglasses. Laces come out of any shoes the person is allowed to keep.
Massachusetts law gives anyone held at a police station the right to use the phone within one hour of arrival, to reach family or friends, arrange bail or contact a lawyer.
People held at the South Bay House of Correction pending trial are issued a uniform, footwear, bedding and hygiene supplies.
A shower and treatment for lice or other parasites may be required before the person is moved to a housing unit.
Intake can be finished in about an hour or stretch past 24 hours. Volume, staffing levels and whether the person cooperates make the biggest difference.
A person who is very drunk or aggressive may wait in a holding cell until they settle down enough to complete the process.