Inside look at Massachusetts prison, June 28, 2011. MCI-Cedar Junction is the maximum security reception center for male offenders in Massachusetts. The prison also houses the Departmental Disciplinary Unit, DDU, which is reserved for the more serious offenders and problematic prisoners. Photo Credit: Boston Globe via Getty Images
Society USAArrests Have Decreased Massively… So Goodbye Prison!
Due to the lowest incarceration rate in 35 years as well as high maintenance costs, Massachusetts, United States is closing its longest-standing prison within the next two years.
The MCI-Cedar Junction has been open since 1955 and needs about $30 million in infrastructure repairs. However, prison rates in Massachusetts have fallen 42% since 2012, and the MDI-Cedar Junction currently only holds 525 men, with each one costing over $110,000 annually. The closing of the facility will be allowing for money to be saved and given to affected and in-need communities.
“The fruit of that work — the lowest level of incarceration in decades — was achieved by providing at-risk individuals with pathways to positive life choices, creating new re-entry services, and empowering returning citizens to rebuild their lives in meaningful ways,” says Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy.
State Senator, Jamie Eldridge, championed the closing of the prison, saying it is both very welcomed and very important. He further emphasized the need for the money that is saved from the prison closure to be put back into the communities that were disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration in Massachusetts. “It’s a racial justice victory, it’s a victory for the effort to reduce mass incarceration,” says Eldridge.
