Dartmouth House of Correction Getting Air Conditioning Installed

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux announced today a plan to install air conditioning in all of the remaining housing units at the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth that don’t already have it.

In a release Friday, Heroux said it has “been an active project since the summer of 2023 and is finally becoming a reality.”

The air conditioning will be installed beginning next Monday, August 5, in the four housing units of the Women’s Center, which Heroux said houses about 50 women, some sentenced already and others awaiting trial.

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Heroux noted that air conditioning will not be installed at the Ash Street Jail facility in New Bedford, “as that is expected to be closed in the near future.”

Heroux announced last month he intends to move forward with his plan to close Ash Street after it was deemed it needed $3.8 million in repairs.

READ MORE: New Bedford's Ash Street Jail Needs $3.8 Million in Repairs

Why Is Sheriff Heroux Having Air Conditioning Installed?

“My goal is to run a modern, humane, professional correctional organization,” Heroux said. “Extreme heat undermines the rehabilitative purpose of the jail by making it more punitive and dangerous.”

Heroux pointed to four main reasons for having air conditioning installed. He cited that “courts have held that excessive heat can be a violation of inmates’ 8th Amendment rights.”

“Part of the test is whether the temperature represents a substantial risk of serious harm to an inmate’s health,” he said, noting that inmates who are either older or who have health conditions “don’t fare as well in extreme temperatures.”

Another reason is because both inmate on inmate and inmate on staff assaults increase as the temperature increases.

“Research and everyday experience show that when temperatures get hotter, tempers also get shorter,” Heroux said. “This can be dangerous in a correctional facility.”

What About Those Who Think Inmates Don’t Deserve Air Conditioning?

Heroux said it’s not just about the inmates.

“Even if some members of the public don’t want inmates to have AC, the living spaces of the inmates are the work spaces of the nearly 300 correctional officers. They go hand in hand,” he said. “Hot conditions threaten the health of correctional officers by increasing the risk for inmate violence on staff and putting them at risk from heat-related conditions.”

Who Is Paying for Air Conditioning to Be Installed?

Heroux said the installation of the air conditioning is being paid for by “existing sources” and “will incur no further costs to the taxpayers.”

A federal grant was used to purchase $130,000 worth of 28,000-36,000 BTU mini-split air conditioning units for the smaller housing units.

“These AC systems will be installed by BCSO maintenance staff, which includes staff members who are licensed electricians and HVAC professionals,” Heroux said. “Maintenance staff have saved and will save the taxpayers a substantial amount of money taking on large projects such as the AC project rather than outsource it.”

Heroux said inmate canteen funds will be used to purchase rooftop units for the larger housing units. He said there is about $1.6 million in canteen funds available.

“The BCSO is also exploring putting solar panels on our campus to offset year-round electrical costs,” he said. “A good element of this plan to install AC in the housing units is that I don’t need to ask the legislature or taxpayers for additional money to make this happen.”