The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) took home two of the top awards at the 2025 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 13.
This year, the MSO was presented with both the Innovation of the Year Award for the new Older Adult Re-Entry (OAR) Unit and Program of the Year Award for the Family Support Services Unit (FSSU).
The ceremony was hosted by the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association at the State House in Boston and recognized individual, team and organizational excellence. Accepting the awards on behalf of the MSO were Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian and staff assigned to the OAR Unit and the FSSU.
The OAR Unit was launched in late 2024 with assistance from Boston University and UMass Boston and is specifically designed with programming and a structural layout specifically designed for incarcerated individuals ages 55 and older.
Like OAR, the FSSU, is a first-in-the-nation initiative. Launched in 2020, the FSSU is designed to enhance support for the loved ones of those incarcerated at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction. The initiative, which has gained attention as a national model, has managed over 8,000 family interactions.
“The officers and civilian staff members who facilitate these vital programs are outstanding professionals who work tirelessly to make our communities better places to live and work,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Their commitment to implementing bold and innovative programs is changing lives for the better each and every day. That’s why I am so proud to call them my colleagues and to share these awards with them.”
To learn more about the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, please visit our website at www.middlesexsheriff.org.
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