MSO IN THE NEWS...

Over the past three months the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office has participated in numerous high school and middle school drug and alcohol awareness programs.  Assistant Deputy Superintendent Sean McAdam along with two inmates from the House of Correction in Billerica performed speaking engagements at select schools.  The majority of these speaking engagements coincided with pre-prom assemblies at the schools.

The two inmates that spoke are currently serving sentences for motor vehicle homicide.  In both cases, the inmate’s best friend was killed and neither inmate had ever been negatively involved in the criminal justice system prior to their incarceration.  Inmate Michael and inmate Mathew told their stories and described how their poor decision has not only had a life-long effect on them, but how it has negatively affected their family, the victim’s family and their community as a whole.  At each school the students were respectful and attentive during each inmate’s talk and at the height of each story, silence permeated the auditoriums.  The emotional response from the students and faculty at each school was immense and moving, as each person was able to understand the infinite ripple effects of alcohol and drug related crimes. 

In 2009 1,685 students around Middlesex County heard these presentations.  The 2009 participating schools were Billerica High School, Stoneham High School, Wilmington High School, Maynard High School, Medford High School and Melrose Middle School.

The inmates who speak are not much older than the student listeners, which emphasizes the reality of the consequences tied to alcohol and drugs.  Each year this popular speaking program delivers a strong message that we hope the students will take with them and help them make good decisions when faced with temptation and negative influences. 

PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR PUBLIC SERVICE!