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Billerica HOC

269 Treble Cove Rd
North Billerica, MA 01862-2830
(978) 667-1711

Interview with Karl and Willie

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Karl: 18 months with 6 months suspended sentence.
Willie: six months in jail there.

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Karl: Yea, it was dirty and really sucked.
Willie: I did have to spend 6 hours waiting until they took me back to the jail. unfortunately, I had to share it with other people and they werent all sentenced. I had to listen to their shit knowing i was going away for a while.

Whether you know somebody going to the Billerica House of Correction or you're just curious about what it is like, we have exclusive interviews from ex-inmates of the facility who share what life behind bars is really like in Billerica.

History of the jail
Billerica HOC (also known as Middlesex House of Correction) was originally built in 1929 to house about 300 inmates. The average daily inmate population is now 800-1000. The campus is actually quite beautiful and looks more like a small college than a jail. This facility is only designed to house inmates who are serving 2.5 years of less, though most people sentenced to this jail don't even spend a year in jail.

Time off for good behavior
Billerica is a crowded jail so they do offer time off for good behavior to avoid more overcrowding issues. Usually this good time is automatic - unless you are fighting with other inmates, disobeying the guards orders or causing other problems you will probably get it. The maximum you can receive is 7.5 days per month (or about 25% of your sentence).

Going to classes provided by the jail will also increase your chances of an early release. They offer various drug treatment programs and even GED courses if you don't have your high school diploma.

Getting along with other inmates
The key to survival behind bars is learning how to get along with other inmates. You need to learn that the rules are different in jail than they are on the streets. If you know you are right about something and someone else is wrong you shouldn't argue your point and make them look bad. This will lead to a serious confrontation where you will either have to fight to stand up for yourself or back down and be perceived by all of the inmates as a weak person.

If you play cards or other games behind bars you should avoid gambling. Inmates like to gamble (money, clothing, meals, etc.) to keep the games interesting, but this is the source of a lot of jailhouse violence. Don't put yourself in a bad situation - if you play cards, do it for fun and don't worry about whether you win or lose.

Learn more about what life is like in the Billerica House of Corrections by browsing the links to the left - all information comes from ex-inmates of the HOC.

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