Bristol County Sheriff’s Office Wins Innovation Award for Suicide Prevention

BOSTON (WBSM) — The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office received the “Innovation of the Year” award from the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association during a ceremony on November 19 at the Great Hall at the Massachusetts State House.

According to an MSA release, the maintenance division of the BCSO was recognized “for their innovative work in redesigning bunk beds and windows to be suicide-resistant, significantly enhancing safety and providing valuable vocational skills to incarcerated individuals through a collaborative and creative approach.”

The BCSO previously had a rate of suicide three times the national average and was the highest in the state. Sheriff Paul Heroux’s 2022 campaign promised he would work to decrease inmate suicide, and during his first month in office, he hired nationally-recognized inmate suicide expert Lindsay Hayes to examine the BCSO’s practices and submit recommendations.

Hayes provided a report that offered 23 specific ways to reduce suicide in the BCSO facilities.

Read Hayes' Full Report and Recommendations for the Bristol County Jails' Suicide Prevention Policies

“The BCSO redesigned the bunk beds to be ‘suicide resistant’ by creating an enclosed triangular stepladder and eliminating spots that could be used to hang oneself,” Sheriff Heroux said.

“When renovating, the maintenance team also addressed risks posed by bars across windows," he said. "They developed a metal screen allowing windows to open while eliminating ways one could hang themselves."

The innovations were implemented in partnership with the office’s vocational welding program, which teaches inmates valuable work skills they can use after release. Heroux said the maintenance team “has enhanced safety while fostering creativity and problem-solving with in the Sheriff’s Office.”

However, he noted not all suicides can be stopped.

“Despite our best efforts, the BCSO cannot promise to prevent all inmate suicides, but we are making progress to significantly reduce the rate of inmate suicide,” Heroux said.