Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux is seeking $27 million in state funding to renovate the Dartmouth House of Correction, so he can close the 148-year-old Ash Street Jail.
But Heroux is facing competition from sheriffs across Massachusetts. They’re all seeking a share of limited state funding for major repairs and renovations at their facilities.
Among the contenders is a jail even older than Ash Street: the Dukes County jail on Martha’s Vineyard, built in 1873, which needs structural and fire-safety repairs and more space. Essex County seeks to overhaul Middleton jail’s kitchen and dining area, while Worcester County wants to renovate deteriorating jail housing units and demolish a former hospital nurses’ home…