The Department of Corrections operates 18 institutions with five security levels ranging from contract pre-release to maximum security. These facilities house over 10,000 criminally sentenced inmates in the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections, 650 incarcerated as civil offenders and 575 pre-trial or awaiting trial offenders. The total custody overcrowding rate is approximately 140% of design capacity. In addition to the correctional facilities managed by the Department of Corrections, the Commonwealth has eighteen jails, houses of correction and related correctional facilities located in fourteen Massachusetts counties and managed by county sheriffs.
The age of the correctional facilities and the changing needs of the prison population create significant systemic and capital facility challenges. To address these issues, the Patrick-Murray Administration initiated a system-wide master planning process which began in late 2007. The master planning process has resulted in a complete assessment of the conditions and needs of the correctional system and makes recommendations with respect to programs and strategic capital investment opportunities for correctional facilities statewide. Although certain facilities have compelling needs when evaluated in isolation, it is critical that our limited capital investment resources be invested in a thoughtful and cost-effective manner to meet the programmatic demands and objectives of the entire correction system.
In fiscal year 2011, capital investments in our correctional facilities include the initiation and completion of studies for several projects recommended through the master planning process. Particular emphasis will be made on regional multi-jurisdictional facilities and special populations in order to develop a more coordinated and efficient approach to addressing the capital needs of the correctional system. The following chart shows the planned investments from all sources in correctional facilities from FY11-15, as compared to projected fiscal year 2010 spending for correctional facilities.
Implementation of the Corrections Master Plan for study and design of highest priority projects. As these projects move to the construction phase, funding levels increase over the course of the five-year plan.
Funding for six separate projects, as recommended by the Corrections Master Plan, including:
Western Massachusetts Women's Facility in Hamden County
Eastern Massachusetts Women’s Facility in Suffolk County
Pre-release & Intake Center in Essex County
Pre-release Center at Hampshire County
Department of Correction Medical & Mental Health Facility
Multi-Jurisdictional Correctional Facility
Capital investments in FY11 are targeted to urgent repair needs, including $3.7 million to complete renovated water treatment plants at correctional facilities at Plymouth and Norfolk, $1.5 million for emergency repairs at Worcester County Jail & House of Correction, $1.8 million for replacement of the central locking system at Essex County Jail & House of Correction, and $2 million for improvements to inmate cells based on the recommendations of the Hayes Report.