LYNN — Essex County Sheriff’s Department officials, community organizations, law enforcement partners, educators, and participants recently gathered to celebrate the impact and growth of the STAR program, a reentry and recovery initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The event highlighted the program’s progress and recognized the partnerships that have helped it expand across Essex County.

“Today, STAR wouldn’t be what it is without our community partners and all the good work that we do together in the city,” Director of the STAR program Stacie Bloxham said. “It’s our little form of gratitude to the folks that help us continue to grow and provide the best services we can for our participants.”

Sheriff Kevin Coppinger said the program’s success depends on collaboration among law enforcement, courts, educators, social service agencies, and community organizations.

“What we deal with each and every day with the folks that are in the incarcerated world and even some that are on the bubble of maybe going into incarceration, it’s so important to give them the services and the direction that they need,” he said.

Reflecting on his 32 years in law enforcement, including seven years as a police chief, the sheriff described the frustration of seeing people repeatedly cycle through arrest, incarceration, and release.

“It was that recidivism. It’s like that wash cycle that never ends,” he said.

The STAR program was developed after officials recognized the need for a coordinated, community-based approach. Seed funding through Congressman Seth Moulton’s office helped launch the initiative in Lynn and Lawrence.

“The police can’t do it all. The courts can’t do it all. The social service agencies can’t do it all. The doctors can’t do it all,” Coppinger said. “It has to be everybody in the same pool to be successful.”

He then pointed to the program’s outcomes as evidence that the model is working. The Essex County Sheriff’s Department currently has a one-year recidivism rate of 13.5 percent, which the sheriff said is the best among county jails and houses of correction in Massachusetts.

For STAR participants, the rate drops to 2.6%.

“That means the services that you folks collectively in this room are providing work,” he said.

Jessica Oljey, assistant superintendent, Programs, Reentry, & STAR, shared data showing continued growth. In 2022, STAR received 414 referrals and completed 129 intakes.

By 2025, referrals increased to 875 with 400 intakes and an average monthly census of 132 participants. During the first quarter of 2026, the program served an average of 152 people each week across both centers.

Oljey said the program was intentionally built around research-based practices, including employment support, housing assistance, education, behavioral health services, and wraparound care.

“We knew we couldn’t do it alone,” Oljey stated. “We spent many, many days making all those community connections.”

Nearly 70% of participants currently enter the program voluntarily, which staff members said reflects growing trust in the initiative.

“We want people to feel welcome here, and we want people to feel respected,” Oljey expressed. “Thankfully, that’s been a reputation that’s continued to grow in the community.”

Program leaders also highlighted participant achievements, including more than 323 employment placements, thousands of hours of programming, and a HiSET subtest passing rate of 93%.

Approximately 160 participants have graduated after completing all of their goals, while roughly 80% of participants have either met or made progress toward their objectives.

The event featured testimony from current and former participants.

Tasheaka Buchanan, a graduate of Bridgewell and current STAR participant, described arriving at the program while struggling with homesickness, unemployment, and separation from her daughter.

“My goals for coming to STAR were to earn my high school diploma, go to college, and improve my future,” she said.

With support from STAR and North Shore Community College, Buchanan passed her HiSET exam and completed her first semester of college with strong grades.

“This experience has given me a fresh start and opened the doors to new opportunities,” she said.

A former member of the program, Kade Thistlewood, shared his story of recovery and reentry. He recalled living in a tent in 2022 and initially refusing help.

“I didn’t have direction. I didn’t have stability,” he said. “But Tom, my navigator, and Melissa were already trying to help me back then. Even when I couldn’t see a future for myself, they could.”

After serving time, Thistlewood said staff members continued supporting him through prison visits and reentry planning. Since returning home, he has worked toward becoming a barber, rebuilding relationships with his children, and maintaining recovery.

“Programs like STAR don’t just change circumstances, they change people,” he said. “Today I’m standing here not as who I was, but as someone who finally has hope, purpose, and a future.”

The ceremony concluded with awards recognizing community partners such as Bridgewell, Lynn Police Department, Lynn Community House, and so on. They are all a reflection of the program’s growth since its launch.

“Our growth wouldn’t have happened without all of you,” Bloxham said.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger gives an update on the successes of the STAR Program.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger gives an update on the successes of the STAR Program.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and STAR Program Assistant Superintendent Jessica Oljey, left, honor STAR Program Director Stacie Bloxham.

STAR Program Director Stacie Bloxham, left, and STAR Program Superintendent Jessica Oljey present updates for the STAR Program.

Tasheaka Buchanan talks about her success after working through the STAR Program.

Kade Thistlewood talks about his success after working through the STAR Program.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and the STAR Program’s Stacie Bloxham, second from right, and Jessica Oljey, right, present Ryan House’s Rachael Christopher, Lisa Buckingham, and Denise Rudnicki with the Ripple Effect Award.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and STAR Program Director Stacie Bloxham, right, present Bridgewell’s Ke’Arra Greene, Amanda Cintron, and Lina Abdalla with the Bridge to Excellence award.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and the STAR Program’s Stacie Bloxham, second from right, and Jessica Oljey, right, present parole officers Hagop Hagopian and Kevin Isaza with the Justice With Compassion award.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and the STAR Program’s Stacie Bloxham, second from right, and Jessica Oljey, right, present Judge Ina Howard-Hogan with the Empowerment Bench and Hope in Action awards.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and the STAR Program’s Stacie Bloxham, second from right, and Jessica Oljey, right, present Lynn Community Health Center’s Program Manager Gina Nasco with the Community Heartbeat Award.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and STAR Program Director Stacie Bloxham, right, present Essex Country District Attorney’s Office Director of Juvenile Justice Dawn Gigante-Masterson with the Sunshine Spirit award,

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and the STAR Program’s Stacie Bloxham, second from right, and Jessica Oljey, right, present the Recovery Exchange’s Mark McCarthy, Angel R., and Kim Patterson with the Sanctuary of Support award.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and STAR Program Director Stacie Bloxham, right, present Northern Essex Community College’s Jacqueline Lynch with the Pathways to Success award.