PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Thomas Bowler said the driving force behind his re-election campaign is family, supporters, and his campaign group.

 

"Everybody here is a close and dear friend," he said at his campaign kickoff Thursday at a crowded Country Club of Pittsfield.

 

"That's what keeps this drive going for me, and to know that in some way shape, or form I can make their lives better and this community better with their help and their support."

 

The kickoff came on the heels of a candidate forum on Wednesday and two-term sheriff wasted no time addressing topics brought up during that event.

 

"A lot of you have recently heard about the controversy with bringing the women inmate population back to this community because supposedly we ripped them from this community to bring them down to Chicopee where, according to someone else, it wasn't the right thing to do," he said, referring to challenger Alf Barbalunga's advocacy for bringing incarcerated women back to Pittsfield from the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee.

 

The facility is nationally known and was recently accredited by the American Correctional Association, said Bowler, adding that Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi, who was in attendance, does a "phenomenal job" overseeing it. 

 

"That facility was built specifically for women in the four Western Mass regions. They did feasibility studies back in the mid-2000s not only in just building the building but the programming as well. Between the four Western Mass sheriffs at the time and the legislative body, they felt that this was a necessity to give these women the opportunity to have available to them the same services as the men do," he added.

 

"When you have co-gender facilities, they don't have that opportunity. Those female inmates have to stay safe, sound and separate.  Obviously, the females are a smaller number. All the programming is geared for the males. I would have to duplicate those services with more staff or more time and we just didn't have the facility at that time to do that. It only made sense for us to send the women to a facility where they're going to get gender-specific needs and services to better themselves."

 

Bowler also addressed his opponent's commitment to only serve one term and criticism that Bowler should have completed his goals during his 12 years in office.

 

"When you have a passion, and a vision and a group of individuals that work with you that are the most incredibly talented individuals in Berkshire County, that passion doesn't go away," he said.

 

"My passion is to create a safe, strong and healthy community. It's a quality of life that each and every one of you deserves, each and every one of us deserves, all our families as well as our incarcerated population."

 

When incarcerated individuals get the services they need to re-enter to the community as a better person than when they came in, Bowler said, it creates a safer community.

 

The Second Streets Second Chances initiative was highlighted as an effort to provide wrap-around services in a one-stop facility.  It offers a wide array of post-incarceration services, case management, and workforce training from the former jail on Second Street.

 

Bowler began his career in law enforcement in 1985 with the Pittsfield Police Department, was sworn in for his first term as sheriff in 2011, and was re-elected in 2016. He has worked in the detective bureau, the drug unit as an arson investigator, and as the Assistant Deputy Superintendent-Security Affairs at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.

 

Deputy Sheriff Robin McGraw spoke in support of Bowler at the event.

 

"In my seven years of working with him, I have found Sheriff Bowler to be a man of integrity, strong moral fiber, and unquestionable ethics. He is a kind, caring individual who aspires to provide all members of our community great services. Although he is an elected official, he is not a politician," he said.

 

"His discipline and determination to keep all of Berkshire County safe and secure is fueled by his immense passion to perform as the top law enforcement officer. In 2022 and beyond, we need experienced and unique leadership. We need an individual who is willing to think out of the box and encourage the development of unique strategies and programs for our inmates who are reentering society. You need look no further. He is here. He is here tonight."

 

Bowler and Barbalunga, chief probation officer of the Southern Berkshire District, will face off in Sept. 6's Democratic primary that will determine the winner as there are no other candidates.