Michael Harris
Interim Special Sheriff
Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department
Former Superintendent/Special Sheriff Michael Harris returns to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD) as Interim Special Sheriff with over thirty years of experience as a corrections professional.
An American Correctional Association-Certified Jail Manager with decades of public sector management, Harris was appointed as the “Interim Special Sheriff” in October of 2026, a designation that requires him to assume the roles and responsibilities of the Sheriff when the Sheriff out of state or in the event that the sheriff is physically unable to carry out the duties of the position. Under the direction of the Sheriff and in his absence, the Interim Special Sheriff would oversee the Departments’ overall operations, which encompass 1000+ employees, 3 stand- alone facilities, and an average daily inmate population of more than 1,100 men and women.
During his previous tenure with the Department, Harris was instrumental in developing and implementing a multitude of process improvements to operational polices, practices and procedures that led to a notably higher level of staff professionalism and significantly enhanced measures of care and custody for inmates and detainees.
Prior to his return to SCSD, Interim Special Sheriff Harris served as the Jail Superintendent of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department, elevating to the position of Special Sheriff, and served as the Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association. He also served as Superintendent and Special Sheriff of the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department.
Interim Special Sheriff Harris holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hobart College and a Master’s Degree from the John W. McCormack Institute of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
He also chaired the Jail Managers Certification program for the American Jail Association and currently serves as a Certified Standards and Accreditation Auditor for the American Correctional Association.