Fall River native, Bridgewater State grad, recognized as Massachusetts Jail Administrator of the Year

A Fall River native’s experience at a local college helped launch a long corrections career, and a prestigious award.

According to Bridgewater State University, 1994 graduate Antone Moniz began his education at BSU because he needed a school that allowed him to commute from his Fall River home.

“Bridgewater was a very doable commute. I needed a school close by, and it offered criminology, my area of interest. I also needed affordability. Bridgewater offered all of it,” Moniz said.

He worked up to 40 hours a week at Taunton Hospital’s Juvenile Residential Program while attending college. Balancing a full-time job and academics wasn’t easy, but Moniz found he wasn’t alone.

“Many students were in the same boat, balancing both worlds. It was challenging, but Bridgewater was accommodating to those challenges, and it was not unique,” he said.

Moniz credits an invested faculty willing to guide him toward earning a degree in sociology with minors in criminology and psychology.

“It wasn’t necessarily the lessons they taught in academia, but more of the life lessons they taught. At the time I was a young man and they taught me what the real world would present, and the challenges I would face,” Moniz said. “Those lessons were much greater than those found in an academic book. They created lasting impressions on me.”

Today, Moniz serves as the superintendent of the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.

In his role, he is responsible for overseeing one of the largest correctional facilities in New England. He compares his job to managing a small town. From food, shelter, and medical needs to educational programs and security, he juggles many responsibilities.

“For example, we serve 3,000 meals a day. Not too many outfits in the world do that,” he said. “Ultimately, my job is to ensure that the facility is run as efficiently as possible, that staff is trained, ensuring compliance, that the facility and grounds are in top shape, that there is order and control, and that we offer the inmates the highest level of security while they serve their sentences.”

The Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association recently honored Moniz with the 2025 Jail Administrator of the Year Award for his outstanding leadership, exceptional audit results, and nearly three decades of service in corrections.

Throughout his career, he’s also had the support of another Bridgewater alumna. He met Christine, his wife of 30 years, as an undergraduate. She graduated in 1991 with a degree in elementary education. Together they have two adult children, Ethan and Alexandra.

“She is an absolute academic genius,” he said. “She is an exceptional mother and an amazing support system for me. She has been a tutor, a friend, and believer in me. If not for her, I would not have had the professional success I have.”

Moniz continues to make his wife, family, and his native Fall River proud.