Boston — Today, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released an audit of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), examining the period of July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2022. This audit reviewed BCSO’s internal control plan, policies, and procedures and conducted site visits to interview BCSO’s management team.

Our audit found that BCSO did not have effective monitoring controls for its sick call process. If BCSO does not ensure that Sick Call/Medical Encounter Request Forms (MERFs) contain all information and are triaged on time, then there is a higher-than-acceptable risk that some inmates may not have their healthcare issues properly resolved in a timely manner or at all, which BCSO is required by law to follow.  

“Across state government, our audits help to identify where there may be deficiencies, a lack of oversight, or an opportunity to improve procedures,” said Auditor DiZoglio. “BCSO is taking measures to address our concerns and is utilizing additional monitoring processes. We recognize the BSCO’s newly stated commitment to improving mental health screening techniques and providing additional training for suicide prevention.”

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