BOSTON — Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian was sworn in on January 4 for a second term as Middlesex County Sheriff during a state house ceremony held in Nurses’ Hall.
“Today is a day to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our first term, but — more importantly — to look forward with great hope and optimism to the work that remains,” said Koutoujian.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin administered the oath to Koutoujian, who is just the 30th man to serve as Middlesex Sheriff in the Office’s 325-year history.
In his inaugural address, Koutoujian spoke of first-term accomplishments including the launch of the Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV), the only such unit in Massachusetts dedicated to helping incarcerated Veterans turn their lives around. Since its launch last January, more than 110 Veterans have participated in HUMV.
He also spoke of the Medication Assisted Treatment And Directed Opioid Recovery (MATADOR) Program, an initiative aimed at assisting incarcerated individuals reentering the community battle opioid addiction. In just over one year, 48 people successfully completed the six-month program with only one of those 48 recidivating. The program has drawn national attention, with the Office of National Drug Control Policy inviting the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office to present in a number of forums, including at the White House.
“HUMV and MATADOR are initiatives that are having tremendous impacts in the lives of those placed in our custody, their families and the community at-large,” said Sheriff Koutoujian.
