05/31/2026
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department joins in mourning Massachusetts Department of Correction Officer John Edwards, who passed away while in the line of duty at the North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner earlier today. We send our deeply heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Officer Edwards’ family, friends and colleagues and to our fellow brothers and sisters in corrections whose hearts are heavy with this loss of one of our own.
It is with profound sadness that the Massachusetts Department of Correction announces the sudden line-of-duty death of Correction Officer John Edwards, a 28-year veteran of the Department assigned to North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner. This morning, Officer Edwards suffered a medical emergency at his post and passed away.
Commissioner Shawn Jenkins issued the following statement in tribute to the fallen officer:
“Today, we mourn the loss of Correction Officer John Edwards, who served the Department of Correction for nearly three decades with unwavering dedication to our public safety mission. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues, and offer them our full support in the difficult days ahead. His service will never be forgotten.”
