Bristol County House of Corrections 'incident': How '17 ringleaders' caused the standoff

DARTMOUTH — An attempt to curb the suicide rate at the Bristol County House of Corrections sparked what officials there called "an incident" Friday involving two housing units that led to an hours-long standoff.

By late Friday afternoon, the prison was under control and the 17 "ringleaders" in the most heavily damaged unit that started the disturbance had been sent to other county jails, said Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux. In the second unit, three ringleaders were sent to jails in other counties, he said.

In a press conference Friday evening, Heroux thanked the response teams from Hampden, Norfolk, Plymouth Barnstable and Suffolk county sheriff departments and Department of Corrections for aiding in quelling the disturbance that resulted in $100, 000 to $200,000 in damages to the first unit.

It all started at about 9 a.m. as they were moving inmates from single and double cells to a communal setting as part of a plan to refit the prison with suicide-proof bunks and otherwise make it more suicide resistant. In the more heavily damaged housing unit of 75 inmates about 17 "ringleaders" decided to stir the pot and have a protest because they didn't want to be moved, Heroux said. The housing unit didn't have locks on the doors because there were no toilets in the cells resulting in a situation in which the 75 agitated inmates did a lot of damage.

One of the measures being taken by the Bristol County Sheriff's Office is to add toilets to these units so that locks can be added. Cells cannout have locks unless they include toilets. That work will go forward but now there will be the damages to address, as well. The facility was designed and built without toilets in about half its cells.

By about 11:30 a.m., Heroux said they were responding to a list of demands from the prisoners. Heroux said he responded back in writing accommodating some of their demands, including to provide more programming, which, he said, he intended to do anyway. Some demands couldn't be met, including turning on inmate cell phones and tablets, due to the security situation.

"They tore it up and threw it out the window," he said of the reply. "The 17 ringleaders were not interested in cooperating and so we tried to deescalate it and it didn't happen."

By 3 p.m. the DOC, BCSO and other sheriff's officers entered and quickly took back the first housing unit with no serious injuries to the inmates and correctional officers. Though some inmates had fashioned weapons from items they had damaged, they complied with orders to lie on the floor and then were taken out, he said, without violence for the most part. One inmate had a bloody eye from a fall.

Heroux added officers recorded everthing when they entered and the video will eventually be made public.

A second housing unit next door contained 63 inmates that he described as agitated but not to the level of the first unit. They also destroyed far less than the first group and some were even helping clean up when the unit was retaken, he said. Because a control console was damaged, though, they could not be returned to the unit.

Seventeen other inmates who were not among the ringleaders needed to be transported to Ash Street Jail to be housed.

The inmates in both of the units are pre-trial inmates. Some are awaiting trial on murder charges.

There are currently 600 inmates at the facility in all. Inmates who are not pre-trial are being held on convictions carrying sentences of 2 1/2 years or less.

No hostages taken

Though there were rumours in the facility that hostages had been taken, that was never the case, he said.

Inmates set some fires in causing the damage, and also placed mattresses in front of the doors, as well as spread soap and water on the floor. The officers countered with sand when they entered, Heroux said, to maintain their footing.

The charges to be lodged against inmates for damages will be discussed with the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, he said. All warranted charges will be filed.

Heroux said one of the main reasons they opted not to wait out the inmates any further was the disruption to the entire population. Other inmates were restricted to cells, lost programming hours and access to tablets. It's a situation that could have spread agitation to the rest of the facility, he said.

What a report shows: All 7 inmate suicides at Bristol County House of Correction since 2017 involved bunk beds

What early video from the Dartmouth jail shows

Video from WCVB Sky5 showed windows inside the minimum-security prison blocked by cardboard boxes and sheets.

At one point, a person sprayed a fire extinguisher out of one of the windows as several officers were gathering outside the building, according to WCVB reports.

Bristol County corrections facilities: Bristol County Sheriff's Office hires a jail suicide-prevention expert for a study

A person also tossed what appeared to be a security camera and a damaged phone out of the same window, WCVB reports.

What to know about the Bristol County Correction Facility on Faunce Corner Road

The 1,100-bed facility on Faunce Corner Road houses male inmates convicted of crimes with a sentence of 2 ½ years or less, higher security female inmates or pretrial detainees and higher security male pretrial detainees.

The facility has several decentralized housing units with varying levels of security, according to the Bristol County Sheriff's Office website.

From December 2022: Bristol County Sheriff-elect Paul Heroux preparing for 'day one' and he wants to 'get things done'

What we know about the 7 suicides at Bristol County House of Corrections

There have been seven suicides at the Dartmouth jail since 2017, and they have all involved the metal bunk beds. That was among the findings in the 64-page report produced by Lindsay M. Hayes, a nationally recognized expert on suicide prevention in jails and prisons after a three-day on-site review in March.

Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux unveiled the report on April 13 along with the prototype of a refitted metal bunk bed that eliminates choking points. They refitted the bunk bed in house, and will be able to continue that practice and save money, he said.

More: All 7 inmate suicides at Bristol County House of Correction since 2017 involved bunk beds

Bristol County correction's suicide rate is three times higher than the national average. Heroux said the recommendations, which "are realistic and achievable," will be attained.

While it cannot eliminate the possibility of inmate suicide, following the recommendations will put the Bristol County lockups on par with other jails, he said.

Paul Heroux: Meet the man who replaced Thomas Hodgson as Bristol County Sheriff

Paul Heroux is the new Bristol County sheriff.

Heroux took over the office on Jan. 4 after winning November’s election against 25-year incumbent Thomas Hodgson. 

Heroux was the mayor of Attleboro, when he was elected to this new role.

From 2006 to 2008 Heroux worked in the Philadelphia prison system as assistant to Commissioner Leon A King. From 2008 to 2009, he worked for the Mass. Dept. of Correction as director of research and planning as a gubernatorial appointee under the Patrick Administration.

Election results: Heroux prevails in tight race over Hodgson for Bristol County sheriff

He was also a state representative for the 2nd Bristol District from 2013 to January 2018, before his inauguration as mayor.

When was the riot at the Bristol County House of Correction?

In 2001, an Easter Sunday riot caused about $1 million in damages to the then-seven year old prison. According to Standard Times reports, two inmates instigated the Easter Sunday riot in response to the removal of toothbrushes and other issues under then-Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson.

With WCVB reports

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Incident at Bristol County House of Corrections in Dartmouth: Live