Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson spends a lot of time out of the office, organizing anti-immigration rallies on the Rio Grande, making appearances on right-wing talk shows — so frequently that he’s dropping the ball on keeping his inmates safe. Hodgson has the highest suicide rate in the Commonwealth and is now swimming in wrongful death and abuse suits. But that’s not the sheriff’s only problem. He also has some of the highest rates of recidivism — former inmates returning to prison. In fact, twice in the last five years Bristol County’s recidivism rates have topped all other counties.
The sheriff likes to tell voters his “get tough” prison policies discourage repeat offenders and keep the public safe: “Our firm, demanding approach to corrections works well,” he promised in one 2010 campaign ad. “Jail is not a country club. That’s why once you’ve done time in the Bristol County House of Corrections you won’t want to come back.”
Except for one problem — it’s completely untrue.
The Massachusetts Department of Corrections began compiling comparative statistics on 3-year recidivism rates for each county prison in 2012 — right about the time the sheriff made his dubious claims. Twice in the last five years Tom Hodgson has actually had the highest recidivism rates in the Commonwealth and when he’s not leading the pack he’s never far behind.
In 2009 the DOC began adding county data to prison releases. In 2012 it was ready to issue its first 3-year recidivism report. Of those released from county jails in 2009, after 3 years Bristol County had the highest recidivism rate of all counties (49%). Of those released in 2010 the county was 4th highest (of 13) with a rate of 44%. Hodgson maintained his 4th-highest ranking again with 2011 releases, scoring a 3-year recidivism rate of 38%. For 2012 releases Bristol County again had the highest recidivism rate in the state — 43%. The last figures we have from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections are for releases from Bristol County jails in 2013, showing a 3-year rate of 34% — Hodgson’s lowest in the last five years but still higher than the state average of 32%. You can view the reports yourself at https://www.mass.gov/lists/research-yearly-reports#three-year-recidivism-rates.
While recidivism surely involves individual choices, high and persistent recidivism is also typical of inadequate rehabilitation programs, bad prison policies, neglect, and abuse of inmates. Tom Hodgson’s punitive approach consists of overcrowding, deprivation, starvation, overuse of solitary confinement, denial of effective drug treatment programs and family visitation, and gouging inmates for canteen and phone calls. Unfortunately this abuse actually ensures that offenders leave prison without ever acquiring the necessary skills and treatment to stay out for good. And the number of hours the sheriff spends weekly promoting his racist immigration views — while shirking his real duties — seem to distract him from running his facilities humanely and efficiently.
Somebody needs to chain the sheriff to his desk so he can get prison suicides and recidivism under control. Hodgson’s abuse of prisoners isn’t doing anybody any good — neither the inmates nor their families, nor taxpayers footing the bill for legal expenses and award settlements resulting from his incompetent and cruel practices.
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