Inmate found dead of apparent suicide at Bristol County House of Correction

A 41-year-old man died at the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth last night. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide by hanging.

According to Gregg Miliote of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, staff at the jail discovered the inmate while making rounds to distribute medication to inmates shortly after 7:00 p.m. Thursday, at which point a medical emergency was initiated, prompting emergency response from various members of the facility. Investigators observed signs of medical intervention by staff at the jail, including an AED and medical supplies.

The inmate, who is from New Bedford, was rushed to Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where he was pronounced deceased at 8:09 p.m.

The inmate had entered the jail on January 3rd after being held on $2,500 cash bail during his arraignment that same day in New Bedford District Court on charges of Trafficking Cocaine, two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and two counts of Conspiracy to Violate the Drug Laws.

According to the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, the cellmate who alerted staff and the rest of the inmates in the housing unit were evaluated by mental health professionals following the incident, and were again checked on Friday morning. The Bristol County Stress Unit, a peer support group comprised of BCSO security, civilian and medical staff, spent time with the officers and other staff who responded to the incident.

Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux returned to the facility Thursday night to observe the investigation and meet with security and medical staff.

“It’s heart-breaking on many levels,” Sheriff Heroux said Friday morning. “First, I personally and we as an organization, send our condolences to this man’s family.

“My goal, our collective goal as a corrections organization, is to reduce the high rate of suicide these facilities have seen over the past decade-plus. We seem to be missing something, but are going to try to find out what that is. If we assume we’re doing everything right, we cannot possibly improve. We must assume we can do better,” Sheriff Heroux continued. “We’re going to do that by inviting outside experts, fresh sets of eyes, to come in and take a look at all of our policies and procedures. We’re also going to improve the culture among offenders by offering more rehabilitative and addiction services to show them there is a better way, a better life, waiting for them upon release.

“These initiatives, this new culture, will take time, but we will get there. Bristol County will be a safer place. Our inmates will be better equipped to be productive, prosperous members of our communities upon release. We will get there, it just takes time,” Sheriff Heroux concluded.

The death is being investigated by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and an autopsy is being conducted.