State officials are closing MCI-Concord prison, which is the oldest men’s prison in the state and the only Massachusetts prison unit dedicated to young fathers .
Officials on Wednesday cited the declining number of incarcerated people in state prisons as one reason for its closure. MCI-Concord first opened in 1878.
“The Massachusetts Department of Correction will soon announce plans to conclude operations at MCI-Concord, a medium-security men’s prison,” a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security said in a statement Wednesday.
“Amid the state’s lowest prison population in 35 years, this action reflects the Department’s ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency, advance cost-saving solutions, and deepen investments in programming and services,” the statement said. “MCI-Concord currently operates at 50% capacity with an incarcerated population of approximately 300.”
The Department of Correction will begin the process of transferring correctional officers and incarcerated individuals throughout this fiscal year with the expectation that this process will be complete by the summer of 2024, the statement said.