Justice Dept. Awards Middlesex County Sheriff's Office $227,800 Grant

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office $227,800 from a grant program designed to prevent sexual assaults in correctional institutes and detention facilities, Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian and U.S. Senator John Kerry announced Wednesday.

“I am grateful the DOJ recognized the work we are doing in this area and are helping us maintain our zero-tolerance approach to this type of activity,” said Sheriff Koutoujian in a press release. “The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office has the responsibility for the care, custody and control of every inmate sent to us by the court and has a duty to ensure their safety within our walls. This grant will help us continue do that.”

“This is an investment in prevention so we don't see more people released back on the streets to commit an awful crime or repeat the pattern of behavior that got them in trouble in the first place. It's a way to make sure inmates better understand what is unacceptable as human beings, and that time behind bars is time we can invest towards learning those lessons,” said Senator Kerry in a press statement.

The grant funds will be used to assist with the enhancement of training and programs available to staff and offenders to assist in compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003. The law requires standards be developed for the detection, prevention and reduction of prison rape.