Bristol County Sheriff'S Office

The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office is an organization of law enforcement, corrections and public safety professionals dedicated to serve the citizens of Southeastern Massachusetts. The BCSO’s main goal is to boost public safety in the community by rehabilitating criminal offenders. The BCSO operates two campuses of correctional facilities. The main campus in Dartmouth hosts the Bristol County House of Corrections and Women’s Center, which house around 600 offenders combined. Bristol County inmates are serviced by social workers, educators and corrections officers, among others. The BCSO also operates the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford, the oldest operating jail in the nation. Opened in 1888 with parts of site construction dating back to the 1830s, the Ash Street Jail is a clean, safe and secure facility that holds about 100 inmates and is available as a regional lock-up to police departments in Bristol County and beyond. Many different departments and career paths are available at the BCSO, including facilities, social work, law enforcement, K9 unit, IT, training, investigations and more. The BCSO is led by Sheriff Paul Heroux.