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BOSTON (State House News Service) — The Healey administration plans to close the state's medium security prison in Concord by this summer.
According to an Executive Office of Public Safety and Security spokesperson, the incarcerated population at the prison stands at about 300 men, or about 50 percent of the prison's capacity. The prison has been part of the Concord community for more than 150 years.
More details about the plan and the cost savings associated with it are expected to surface Wednesday afternoon when Gov. Maura Healey unveils her fiscal 2025 state budget bill, which is expected to call for spending increases at a time when tax collections are weakening.
The EOPSS spokesperson told the News Service Wednesday morning that the state was experiencing its "lowest prison population in 35 years" and the Concord closure plan reflected the Department of Correction's "ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency, advance cost-saving solutions, and deepen investments in programming and services."
The department plans to start transferring correction officers and incarcerated individuals in the five months remaining in fiscal 2024, and to complete the closure by summertime, the spokesperson said.
The Concord Bridge reported the closure plans on Tuesday, citing Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington as the source of the news.
"We have been aiming as a legislature and in general to reduce the number of people incarcerated," Barrett said, according to The Concord Bridge. "Obviously, this is a big deal. People are going to be upset, people are going to be caught off guard."
Rep. Simon Cataldo of Concord said news of the closure plans triggered "mixed emotions" due to people with connections to the prison, such as those who volunteer inside the facility and employers who employ inmates through prison programs.
"There are real and profound relationships that are going to be affected by moving all of these people," Cataldo said.
The property covers 62 acres and abuts West Concord Village, the Route 2 rotary, and the West Concord stop on the Fitchburg commuter rail line. He said he expects community engagement before any plans are finalized about future uses, but mentioned several possibilities, including housing, commercial and retail options, as well as open space or recreational space.
"With a plot of land this size we should be looking to address multiple challenges and opportunities," Cataldo told the News Service.
Written by Michael P. Norton/SHNS
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