In the wake of the first big challenge of his tenure as Bristol County sheriff, Paul Heroux spoke with host Jack Spillane as the special guest of The Chat.
In his first 100 days as sheriff, Heroux has come up with a plan to reduce the high suicide rate at the Bristol County House of Correction and also to close the long outdated Ash Street Jail, built in 1888.
Sheriff Heroux’s proposal would remedy a situation in which about half the cells at the jail, by court order, cannot be locked because they do not possess toilets. He’s appealed to the South Coast legislative delegation and the administration of Gov. Maura Healey to help him remedy the longstanding problem that makes the Bristol facility particularly vulnerable during riots or disturbances.
The latest of those uprisings took place on Friday, April 21.
THE CHAT ARCHIVES
O’Leary, DeLoach, Furtado Jr. working together for New Bedford students
The leaders of the city’s public schools joined the conversation to discuss collaboration and working toward a common goal. Watch the entire Chat.
Mitchell on his goals for the city, the budget, and immigration enforcement
In an hour-long one-on-one with The Light, the mayor hit on everything from education to wind to police to standing up for New Bedford.
Sheriff Heroux at the halfway point: ‘There’s still work I want to do at the jail’
If you missed the hour-long discussion with the Bristol County sheriff, we’ve got the full Chat available. He said while he has made progress, he is “not claiming mission accomplished.”