Local News

Newly released photos show aftermath of standoff at Bristol County jail

Detainees at a Dartmouth jail engaged in a standoff with staff on Friday. New images show improvised weapons, wrecked furniture, and other damage.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office released images of the aftermath of a standoff between detainees and staff members at a jail in Dartmouth. Bristol County Sheriff's Office

By Ross Cristantiello

April 24, 2023

2 minutes to read

Three days after a group of detainees coalesced into an uprising at a Dartmouth jail, which led to an hours-long standoff with staff, officials have released photos of the incident’s aftermath.

The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office shared dozens of photos on Facebook Monday that depict the aftermath of the confrontation at the Bristol County House of Correction. Officials are now working to document all the damage done to the facility so that repairs can be planned.

The 20 pretrial detainees who allegedly organized the uprising are expected to face charges for their role, The Boston Globe reported. The detainees reportedly caused as much as $200,000 in damage to the facility. No one was injured.

Bristol Sheriff Paul Heroux told the paper that the incident started around 7 a.m. Friday when staff tried to relocate male detainees in two units so that renovation work could be done. The plan was for workers to install plumbing for toilets and make renovations that reduced suicide risks at the facility.

The men reportedly refused to leave, and correctional officers left the area at about 9 a.m. They locked the exterior doors behind them, and the detainees began damaging their housing units.

Heroux said that, because of a 1998 class-action lawsuit, the jail no longer is allowed to lock inmates in cells that do not have toilets. Heroux told the Globe that this was a major factor in the escalation of Friday’s incident. If the detainees could have been locked in individual cells, they would not have been able to damage the property.

“If there were locks on cells, this wouldn’t have happened,” Heroux told the paper. “It’s that simple.”

Two housing units reportedly sustained damage. One that housed 75 men had significant damage, and another with 63 men had less damage but cannot be used because detainees destroyed a console that controls door locks.

Heroux told the Globe that the detainees dismantled furniture and sharpened bits of them into improvised weapons. The detainees also created a list of demands during the standoff that included lower canteen prices, extra recreation time, and televisions in cells. Staff responded with a counter offer that was destroyed by the inmates before they read it.

Eventually officers used tear gas and flash bangs to take control of the situation and end the standoff. The detainees involved have reportedly been relocated to other jails throughout Massachusetts.