Press Release: 11/13/2025

MSA Hosts 2025 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony

 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



11/13/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Jordan Noe, MSA Communications Director



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Call Jordan Noe, MSA Communications Director at 781-426-6030



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Email Jordan Noe, MSA Communications Director at jordan.noe@mass.gov



More than 250 participants attended the 2025 Law Enforcement and Corrections Awards Ceremony.



BOSTON — The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association (MSA) proudly celebrated the outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment of law enforcement and corrections professionals at the 2025 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The event, held at The Great Hall in the Massachusetts State House, honored recipients in 10 award categories for their exceptional dedication and service.



The awards ceremony highlighted stories of heroism, commitment, and innovation within the law enforcement and corrections communities across the Commonwealth.



“It is a privilege to celebrate the remarkable contributions of law enforcement and corrections professionals who go above and beyond in service to others,” said Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick Cahillane, President of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association. “Their courage, innovation, and leadership make our correctional facilities and communities stronger and safer every day.”



The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association commends these exemplary individuals for their service. Their efforts continue to inspire positive change, improving outcomes for those individuals returning to our communities, and making the Commonwealth a more resilient state.



Please see a list of the award recipients below:




  1. Correctional Officer of the Year


    • Officer John Ballerino (Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office)

      Officer John Ballerino is honored for his more than 20 years of dedicated service, exceptional professionalism, and leadership as an intake officer, exemplifying outstanding skills in de-escalation, training, and teamwork that uphold the highest standards of safety and excellence at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office.

    • Officer Nicholas Wojnar (Worcester County Sheriff’s Office)

      Officer Nicholas Wojnar is recognized for his courage and quick thinking. While off duty, he selflessly rescued a trapped woman from an overturned vehicle, demonstrating the bravery, training, and readiness that define the finest in the correctional profession.



  2. Deputy Sheriff of the Year

    • Deputy Nicholas Fitzpatrick (Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office)

      Deputy Nicholas Fitzpatrick is recognized for his outstanding service, guidance, and devotion to public safety through his work with K9 Nemo, whose specialized ballistic detection skills, search successes, and community engagement efforts have made them an invaluable asset to the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement community across Cape Cod.

    • Lieutenant Benjamin Goody (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)

      Lieutenant Benjamin Goody is recognized for his exceptional courage, determination, and selfless dedication during a life-saving response in Greenfield, where he tirelessly assisted in a dangerous rescue effort, exemplifying the highest standards of professionalism, bravery, and commitment to public service.

    • Captain Mel Reed (Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office)

      Captain Mel Reed is recognized for his extraordinary courage, swift action, and unwavering commitment to public safety when he risked his own life to rescue an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle, demonstrating exceptional leadership, composure, and the highest ideals of the law enforcement profession.



  3. Employee of the Year

    • Elizabeth Stetzel (Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office)

      Director Elizabeth Stetzel is recognized for her exceptional innovation in modernizing the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office Records Department, strengthening collaboration with courts and other offices, organizing impactful training that enhanced statewide record management, and exemplifying compassion and service through her quiet generosity and enthusiasm to helping others.

    • Alyssa Perley (Bristol County Sheriff’s Office)

      Dispatcher Alyssa Perley is recognized for her exceptional composure, leadership, and coordination during a large-scale assisted living facility fire, skillfully managing communications among multiple hospitals and agencies while maintaining her regular dispatch duties, demonstrating extraordinary professionalism and dedication that ensured the safety and care of dozens of patients.



  4. Supervisor of the Year

    • Lieutenant Scott Bishop (Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office)

      Lieutenant Scott Bishop is recognized for his outstanding leadership, tireless work ethic, and commitment to excellence, managing complex operations, guiding new unit managers, and ensuring seamless transitions amid major organizational changes, all while fostering teamwork, trust, and high morale through his hands-on, compassionate approach.

    • Captain Sam Rapoza (Bristol County Sheriff’s Office)

      Captain Sam Rapoza is recognized for his innovative and results-driven approach in revitalizing the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office recruitment program, dramatically increasing applicant engagement and academy enrollment through multi-platform outreach, strategic partnerships, and hands-on support for prospective recruits.



  5. Training Officer of the Year

    • Sergeant Christopher Cochran (Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office)

      Sergeant Chris Cochran is recognized for his exceptional commitment to training and staff development, providing expert instruction in life-saving skills, health and wellness, and law enforcement procedures, while supporting multiple agencies and enhancing the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office through hands-on mentorship.

    • Sergeant Charles Ober (Essex County Sheriff’s Department)

      Sergeant Charles Ober is recognized for his innovative direction in developing the Recruit Officer Training Program and the Improved Field Training Officer Program, significantly enhancing recruit preparation, mentorship, retention, and professional development while setting the standard for excellence in training within the department.



  6. Jail Administrator of the Year:

    • Barbara Clarkson (Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office)

      Barbara Clarkson is recognized for her transformative approach in creating and expanding rehabilitation and re-entry programs, launching The Bridge Center, and building partnerships and innovative services that have reshaped the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office and improved outcomes for justice-involved individuals.

    • Superintendent Antone Moniz (Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office)

      Superintendent Antone Moniz is recognized for his exemplary 29-year career in corrections, distinguished leadership as Superintendent, and commitment to managing a complex and high-risk population while achieving outstanding accreditation and audit results and guiding his team through challenges.



  7. Innovation of the Year: Older Adult Reentry Unit (OAR) (Middlesex Sheriff’s Office)

    The Older Adult Re-Entry Unit (OAR) is recognized for its innovative, first-of-its-kind approach to supporting men age 55 and older, providing specialized housing, treatment, and programs that enhance wellness, reduce isolation, and improve opportunities for successful reintegration into the community.

     

  8. Program of the Year: Family Support Services Unit (FSSU) (Middlesex Sheriff’s Office)

    The Family Support Services Unit is recognized for its groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation work providing critical support, resources, and programming to the families of incarcerated individuals, fostering connection, education, and successful reentry.

     

  9. Strategic Partner of the Year: LEO Support Foundation/ S.M.A.C. (Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office) 

    The LEO Support Foundation and its division S.M.A.C.(Start Me Another Car) are recognized for their vital contributions to law enforcement wellness, providing life-saving equipment, mental health resources, training, and support for officers and their families both on and off duty.

     

  10. Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Award: Stephen Amos (Chief of the Jails Division, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice)

    This award recognizes individuals who embody innovation, compassion, and professionalism, leading the way within the field of law enforcement and corrections. Each year the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association President and Executive Director choose an honoree as the recipient of the Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. Award. This year, the prestigious award was presented to Stephen Amos for his dedication to the field of corrections. Throughout nearly four decades of distinguished service, he is recognized as an indispensable resource to Sheriffs’ Offices across the Commonwealth and the Nation, continually raising the bar for best practices and ethical standards in public safety. His transformative leadership has ensured the integration of cutting-edge standards to include MAT and substance withdrawal guidelines, behavioral health, jail staffing, and crisis response initiatives, with a particular focus on education, training, and development.