Middlesex County Jail Sees 15% Population Decline After Releases

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MA — The Middlesex Jail & House of Correction population has dropped by over 100 people in less than four weeks, a 15 percent decline in population. The current population of 681 is a result of direct actions taken by the Middlesex Sheriff's Office, the district attorney, local law enforcement and the courts to limit arrests and release vulnerable inmates to limit the spread of the new coronavirus in the jail.

Despite efforts to slow virus spread, six inmates tested positive for the coronavirus, with the newest cases announced on Tuesday, and 21 employees in the Middlesex jail. Movement within the housing units where the positive cases derived has been limited.

Some inmates have been screened for potential release or placed into the electronic monitoring program. Those placed on bail have had their cases reviewed as well, in an effort to decrease the prison population and slow the spread of the virus. Evaluations for all forms of release – including EMP – have included an emphasis on elderly inmates and those with chronic health conditions as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Middlesex County Sheriff's office.

Inmates placed in the electronic monitoring program has doubled since March 20, with 90 percent of the new cases being people over the age of 55. Bail reduction have been a large part of the effort as well, with 80 people pretrial inmates having their bail reduced and 48 being released from Middlesex Jail. The total number of released inmates does not include women held at MCI-Framingham or men held in other jurisdictions.

A total of 19 people were also released when the MSO and Mass Bail Fund worked together to identify inmates held on low cash bails. Another 41 people completed their court-imposed sentences since March 11 and have been released.

According to the MSO, with some police departments issuing summons for nonviolent crimes, and courts delaying trials, new admissions into the Middlesex jail have declined.

“Ensuring the well-being of all those who live in and work at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction is of paramount importance to myself and my staff. By developing specialized processes for release throughout our population, we are keeping both the public safety and public health of our communities at the forefront,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “The steps we have taken will benefit both those we release and those who remain with us as we work on ways that this population decline can help us maintain social distancing standards inside the facility. As we have since the beginning of this crisis, we will continue to work with our security staff, our infectious disease specialist, and external as well as internal medical professionals to make the best decisions for the health and safety of our population.”