Ash Street Jail
Encyclopedia
The Bristol County Jail & House of Correction (Ash Street), located in New Bedford, Massachusetts
, is a jail for inmates who are awaiting trial from Bristol County, MA. Built in 1829, it is the oldest operating jail in America. It is currently overseen by Bristol County Sheriff
Thomas M. Hodgson, who feels that although he has been heavily criticized for keeping the 180-year old facility open, that keeping it open is a good idea because jail should be a place that "people don't want to return". Due to alleged unsafe conditions, including the absence of automatic door locks, the jail has been the subject of lawsuits.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, is a jail for inmates who are awaiting trial from Bristol County, MA. Built in 1829, it is the oldest operating jail in America. It is currently overseen by Bristol County Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Thomas M. Hodgson, who feels that although he has been heavily criticized for keeping the 180-year old facility open, that keeping it open is a good idea because jail should be a place that "people don't want to return". Due to alleged unsafe conditions, including the absence of automatic door locks, the jail has been the subject of lawsuits.