NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux is moving forward with his plan to close New Bedford’s historic but aging Ash Street Jail after the latest structural inspection revealed the building needs over $3.8 million in repairs.

In an email to the media Monday, Heroux explained that the 136-year-old jail recently had to undergo an inspection in order to receive a necessary permit.

“Due to some falling bricks and other easily observable façade issues, in order to get an annual occupancy permit, the BCSO was ordered by the district state building inspector to have a structural engineer assess the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford,” he said. “My administration complied with that order.”

The falling bricks are considered a hazard for anyone walking by the facility, which first opened in 1888.

IMEG via Paul Ford Deputy Director Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)
IMEG via Paul Ford Deputy Director Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)
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Heroux included a copy of the report, in which it is suggested that a “band-aid fix” of the structural issues would cost about $35,000, while properly fixing the structural issues would cost over $3.8 million.

“It would not make sense to spend $3.8 million on a facility that costs us about $5 million a year to run. It makes more sense to consolidate resources at the Dartmouth jail campus,” Heroux said, echoing a sentiment he has held since running for sheriff in 2022.

READ MORE: The Report on Cracking Bricks at New Bedford's Ash Street Jail

On June 18, Heroux sent a letter to the local state senators and representatives asking for their support in a “several phase plan” to close the Ash Street Jail, in which he referred to the facility as an “outdated money pit.”

Heroux’s plan includes retrofitting an unused kitchen on the campus of the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth to accommodate the regional detainees who are brought to Ash Street from the 19 of the 20 cities in towns in Bristol County that utilize the BCSO regional lockup, which Heroux said will “improve safety and save money.”

Marcus Ferro/Townsquare Media
Marcus Ferro/Townsquare Media
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While there are usually about 10 to 20 regional detainees that would be moved from Ash Street, the Dartmouth campus would also need space for the 80 or so regular inmates housed at Ash Street. Heroux said those inmates would be placed into existing unused housing units in Dartmouth.

Once all inmates are moved from Ash Street, the jail would be turned back over the Commonwealth “for sale to a private developer or some other yet to be determined use.”

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In his letter, Heroux estimated the retrofit design done by a firm would cost about $750,000, while the construction of the new regional lockup on the Dartmouth campus would cost between $3 million and $4 million.

He said that would mean $700,000 each year “won’t be spent on utilities and other maintenance” at Ash Street, and that the sale to a private developer could net the Commonwealth between $2 million and $5 million.

Marcus Ferro/Townsquare Media
Marcus Ferro/Townsquare Media
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Heroux said consolidating operations to just the Dartmouth campus will also allow him to consolidate staff, increasing the security staff-to-inmate ratio at the House of Correction.

READ MORE: Heroux Gives Tour of New Bedford's Ash Street Jail

Heroux said he has received word back from the delegation.

“State Representative Chris Markey quickly told me that he would file what is needed to make the plan to close Ash St a reality,” Heroux said. “Other Reps and Senators have also pledged their support.”

Before and After Photos of the Bristol County House of Correction Damage

An uprising by the inmates in the Bristol County House of Correction on April 21, 2023 caused an estimated $100,000-$200,000 in damage. See photos of the damage caused and how the units look following the clean-up.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

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