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Lt. Sherry Harrison |
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office celebrates Women’s History Month in March by highlighting some of the careers and achievements of our sisters in uniform.
Sherry Harrison knew she wanted to work in the medical health care field, but she had difficulty finding the right fit for her. She briefly worked in the retail industry before she joined the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division 14 years ago and she looks back with pride on her career move.
Starting out as a Corrections Officer with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Harrison is now a lieutenant, working in the Community Corrections Center, overseeing inmate day reporting and pre-trial services.
Next door to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, the Community Corrections Center (CCC) in Leonardtown provides non-violent offenders in the local criminal justice system with access to behavioral health evaluation and treatment, including mental health and substance-use disorders.
Offenders in the pre-trial release and day-reporting programs report to the CCC at least once a week for drug testing. In addition, offenders are remotely tracked each day by a GPS monitoring system on their person. Any deviation in their schedule or location requires staff approval.
For those whose offenses involved alcohol, offenders are also monitored for any levels of intoxication through a portable device that is also remotely tracked.
On a recent day in February, there were 116 inmates being monitored by Corrections staff on pre-trial services or day reporting (formerly called work release).
“Our goal is to rehabilitate,” Lt. Harrison said. “We do our best to work with offenders.”
In many cases, addiction issues lead to and perpetuate criminal behaviors, she said.
Lt. Harrison joined the Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division on March 2, 2009, and said she’s enjoyed her career ever since.
“I’m still here. I think it was a good decision,” she said. “It’s been a good journey. I look back and I say that was a good decision.”
In addition to working as a Corrections Officer, she also worked as a booking officer, a transport officer and worked in the Community Supervision Unit at the detention center. “I’ve been able to learn a lot and move around,” within the division, she said.
For those considering a career in Corrections, she advised, “Do it. It’s a good opportunity. You’ll be able to learn a lot. There’s room for growth, a lot of training opportunities. I’ve definitely learned a lot in my time here.”
“If you’re interested in law enforcement and a good career, this would be a good choice,” she said. “It just takes patience, flexibility with your schedule, but I’ve seen people leave and come back here. It’s a good career.”
“Lt. Harrison is a leader and a role model in the Corrections Division,” Warden Mary Ann Thompson said. “She is making positive life-changing differences for not only the offenders involved, but their families and ultimately to St. Mary’s County.”
Learn more about careers with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, at https://www.firstsheriff.com/employment/default or call 301-475-4200, ext. 71936.
