Sheriff Koutoujian welcomes Attorney General Healey for official tour

Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian recently welcomed Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction for a tour and discussion primarily focused on behavioral health and addiction recovery programs.

“Attorney General Healey has been a tremendous leader in addressing the issues of addiction and behavioral health here in the Commonwealth,” said Sheriff Koutoujian.  “We truly appreciated the opportunity to have the Attorney General visit and spend time speaking with our staff and inmates about the innovative programs we have initiated to address these very issues.  I look forward to continuing to work with Attorney General Healey on these and many other public safety initiatives.”

In 2015, 43 percent of all individuals entering the custody of the Middlesex Sheriff required medical detoxification, while 46 percent reported a history of mental illness.

“As we are all too aware, our state is struggling with a devastating public health and safety crisis, so it is more important than ever that we improve access to mental health care and addiction recovery services,” AG Healey said. “The work being done at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction is critical in tackling this epidemic from all angles, and I am proud to have Sheriff Koutoujian as a partner in these efforts.”

In addition to meeting with administrators and staff during her visit, Attorney General Healey spoke with inmates participating in addiction treatment programming, as well as in the Housing Unit for Military Veterans – the first such unit specially designed for incarcerated veterans in the Commonwealth.

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