Before anything else: the website you are probably about to use is not the sheriff’s website.
Search for Hampden County jail information and you will likely land on hcsdmass.org. That was the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department domain once. It is now a privately owned inmate-search site. Its own footer says so: “This site is not owned or operated by any state government organization.”
The real site is hcsoma.org. There is also hampdencountysheriff.com, which is official but covers only the Civil Process Division in Springfield and has nothing about the jail.
Everything below comes from the sheriff’s actual site, verified in August 2026.
There is no online inmate search
Worcester County runs the only public inmate lookup in Massachusetts. Hampden County does not have one, and we checked all 111 pages of the sheriff’s site to be sure.
To find out whether someone is in custody, call:
- Hampden County Correctional Center, Ludlow: (413) 858-0000
- Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center, Chicopee: (413) 730-6800
Any site claiming to search Hampden County inmates for you is a commercial aggregator, including the old domain.
Where people are held
Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s office runs a wider system than one building.
Hampden County Correctional Center, 627 Randall Road, Ludlow, MA 01056. Main phone (413) 858-0000. This is the main institution for men.
Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center, 701 Center Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Phone (413) 730-6800. This is the regional facility for women, and it serves more than Hampden County.
The office also operates the Western Mass Recovery and Wellness Center in Springfield, the All-Inclusive Support Services center, and the Stonybrook Stabilization and Treatment Center in Ludlow, which is a Department of Public Health approved facility for civil commitments under G.L. c. 123 § 35.
One address detail worth confirming by phone before you send anything: the sheriff’s site gives the physical address as 627 Randall Road but lists inmate mail at 629 Randall Road, under the name “HCJHOC at Stony Brook.” Both numbers come from official pages. A wrong digit means returned mail.
Every visit is non-contact
This is the single most important thing to know before you drive to Ludlow or Chicopee.
All in-person visits at both facilities are non-contact. No physical contact at any time. Violating that rule means discipline for the person you are visiting and a bar on you returning.
The department frames it as drug interdiction. Whatever the reason, do not arrive expecting to hug anyone.
Visiting days depend on the last name
At the main institution in Ludlow, the schedule splits alphabetically, which we have not seen in any other Massachusetts county:
- Last names A through O: Monday through Saturday
- Last names P through Z: Sunday through Friday
Daily time slots, each capped at ten concurrent appointments: 2:20 to 3:20, 3:35 to 4:35, 4:50 to 5:50, and 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
There are two hard blackout windows when no visits happen at all, for counts and meal service: 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5:50 to 7:00 p.m.
To book, call the Public Lobby at 413-858-0233 or 413-858-0175.
At the women’s center in Chicopee, times depend on the housing unit rather than the last name, rotating across units 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. Afternoon sessions run 3:00 to 4:00 and 4:15 to 5:15, evening sessions 7:00 to 8:00 and 8:15 to 9:15. Call 413-730-6817.
Appointment or walk-in? The site says both
The sheriff’s schedules page says to call the Public Lobby to reserve a spot and that walk-ins are welcome. The visiting rules page says visits must be scheduled in advance, up to a week ahead, and that same-day appointments are allowed if a slot is open.
Both pages are current and official. The safest reading is that you can book up to a week out, same-day slots exist when available, and walk-ins are accepted subject to the ten-per-slot cap. Call before you go.
Getting approved, and who cannot visit
Everyone 18 and over must complete an online background check, called a BOP request, plus a Request to Visit form, before entering the secure perimeter.
You will be denied if you are listed in the Criminal Justice System Information System, if you were convicted of a felony within the last year, if you were incarcerated within a one-year period, or if you have open cases or warrants and are not immediate family. Denials come in writing and can be appealed.
Former inmates face a specific bar. In the department’s words, former offenders may not visit until the Central Review Board approves them. Anyone convicted and incarcerated within the past year who is not immediate family may not visit at all.
A visitor system change is underway right now
A new visitor portal at visit.hcsoma.org went live on July 20, 2026.
As of the department’s notice, family and personal visitors are not yet affected. The portal currently applies to professional service providers, volunteers, and tradespeople. Attorneys and DCF staff are also not yet moved over.
The transition is scheduled to complete in September 2026, after which clearances issued under the old system will no longer be accepted. Registration requires the last four digits of your Social Security number, date of birth, and true last name.
The department has not announced the date family visitors move onto the portal. If you are reading this after September 2026, check the site before relying on an old approval.
Bringing children, and what to wear
Adults need unexpired photo identification with a name, date of birth matching the account, and an expiration date. Minors need no photo ID but must present a birth certificate, either an original or a watermarked copy with an official seal, plus an accompanying adult with valid ID and custody documentation.
The department publishes separate documentation paths for a biological parent, an adoptive parent or legal guardian, DCF personnel, and a non-guardian civilian, the last of which requires a notarized parental consent letter with start and expiration dates.
School-aged children are not allowed during normal school hours unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Baby bottles must be clear plastic. At the main institution the Children’s Room is restricted to professional visits only.
Dress code: nothing see-through, revealing, or excessively tight. No sleeveless or tank tops. No skirts or shorts above the knee. No bare feet or slippers. No digital wearables, including watches, glasses, and rings. No jackets, coats, hats, sunglasses, hoodies, or full-zip sweatshirts. No pajamas or medical scrubs. Nothing depicting drugs, alcohol, or gangs.
Color restrictions vary by building: no orange or green at the main institution and the women’s center, no yellow or light blue at Stonybrook.
Mail still arrives on paper here
This is a genuine difference from most Massachusetts counties, and it matters.
Hampden County has not outsourced mail to a digital scanning vendor. Facility staff open and inspect mail for contraband, and the person you are writing to receives the actual letter and the actual photograph. Norfolk, Essex, and Plymouth all send personal mail to a Florida scanning center instead.
The rules are strict about materials:
- Black ink or non-colored pencil only
- White paper, free of stains, spills, or discoloration, including lipstick and perfume
- Pure white envelopes
- Drawings in non-colored pencil or black ink
- Greeting cards must be non-layered, with no pop-ups and no music devices
- Photographs must be in original form. Any alteration, glue, tape, or tear means rejection
Non-conforming mail is returned to sender, held in the property bag until release, or referred to the Criminal Investigation Unit.
Legal mail is opened by security staff in the presence of the inmate. Attorneys should note that Hampden runs an Attorney Control Number verification process for privileged mail, with its own request form. Legal mail questions go to the facility.
Money on the books
Deposits run through SecureDeposit, operated by Keefe Commissary Network, via Access Corrections.
- Online at accesscorrections.com
- Bilingual phone line: (866) 345-1884
- Kiosks at Ludlow, Chicopee, and the Mill Street center, accepting $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills
- The Access Corrections mobile app
Unlike most counties, Hampden publishes its fee schedule:
- $0.01 to $19.99: $2.95 online, $3.95 by phone, $3.00 cash at a kiosk
- $20 to $99.99: $5.95 online, $6.95 by phone, $3.00 cash
- $100 to $199: $7.95 online, $8.95 by phone, $3.00 cash
- $200 to $300: $9.95 online, $10.95 by phone, $3.00 cash
Cash deposits at a kiosk are the cheapest route by a wide margin at any amount over twenty dollars.
You can also deposit or collect money in person at the Public Lobby inmate accounts window: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Ludlow; 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at Chicopee.
Phone calls run through ICSolutions, not Securus
Most Massachusetts counties use Securus. Hampden uses ICSolutions, and setting up an account with the wrong vendor is a common and frustrating mistake.
Customer service is (888) 506-8407, staffed 24 hours a day, year round, with Spanish-language support. You can buy prepaid service online, by phone, or by mailing a check or money order to ICSolutions in San Antonio, Texas. Mail-in purchases must include your name, address, and the phone number that will receive calls.
Calls from Massachusetts correctional facilities have been free since December 1, 2023.
Property and court clothes
Property is released to an outside person only at the Visitors Information Desk in the Public Lobby, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photo ID is required and will be copied.
Court clothing may be exchanged only once every six months, and must be brought at least one week before the court date. The exchange is one for one, must be initiated by the inmate, and the inmate must name the specific person allowed to do it. No sneakers are accepted with court clothes. All incoming property is searched, including by K-9.
At Chicopee, court property drop-off runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 2 p.m., or by appointment through Intake at (413) 730-6840.
Posting bail
Use the bail phone in the Public Lobby to reach the Intake Supervisor. On weekends it reaches the Central Control Room Supervisor.
Staff will check for other holds, warrants, or detainers, then tell you the bail amount and the bail clerk’s fee before you decide whether to proceed.
Cash only, or a cashier’s check for amounts of $10,000 or more depending on the assigned bail clerk. Personal checks and money orders are not accepted.
Two things to know. If the mittimus requires electronic monitoring, the person is held and transported to the next court session rather than released. And no member of the public with an active no-contact restraining order against the inmate may receive them on release.
The women’s center publishes release times: Monday through Friday at 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The main institution does not publish equivalent times.
Hampden does not publish the bail clerk’s fee amount. Ask when you call.
Common questions
Is there a Hampden County inmate search online?
No. Call (413) 858-0000 for Ludlow or (413) 730-6800 for Chicopee. Note that hcsdmass.org is no longer the sheriff’s site; the official site is hcsoma.org.
Are visits contact or non-contact in Hampden County?
All visits at both facilities are non-contact. There is no physical contact permitted at any time.
What days can I visit?
At Ludlow, last names A through O visit Monday through Saturday, and P through Z visit Sunday through Friday. At Chicopee, days depend on the housing unit.
Where do I mail a letter?
Hampden delivers original paper mail rather than scans. The inmate mail address is 629 Randall Road, Ludlow, MA 01056, though the facility’s physical address is 627. Confirm by phone before sending.
Which phone company handles inmate calls?
ICSolutions, at (888) 506-8407, not Securus. Calls are free.
Can someone with a criminal record visit?
Not without approval. Former inmates need Central Review Board approval, and anyone convicted and incarcerated within the past year who is not immediate family cannot visit.
Verified against Hampden County Sheriff’s Office published materials at hcsoma.org in August 2026. A visitor portal transition is underway and scheduled to complete in September 2026. Schedules, vendors, and fees change; call (413) 858-0000 to confirm before you travel. General information, not legal advice.