Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Concord

The Massachusetts Reformatory was established pursuant to St 1884, c 255, at the Concord site of the State Prison; the latter institution was moved back to Boston (Charlestown), where it had been located until 1878. Certain inmates of the State Prison (s 3), inmates of county jails or houses of correction (s 12), and inmates of the State Reform School at Westborough, whose population was henceforth to be limited to boys under the age of fifteen (ss 11, 13), were all possible candidates for transfer to the reformatory, which was as proposed by: Annual report of the Commissioners of Prisons, 1880 (PD 13: Jan 1881), for "young men who have committed criminal acts rather than fallen into criminal habits, and who need the elevating influence of a reformatory." Provision was made for "permit of liberty" (i.e., parole) to any inmate who "has reformed" (St 1884, c 255, s 33)

St 1885, c 36 allowed the transfer of those held under sentence at the State Workhouse at Bridgewater. St 1888, c 49 limited admittance to those aged forty and below, and excluded those convicted of more than three penal offences. St 1892, c 302 (amending St 1886, c 323) limited terms for state prison-type offenses to a maximum of five years, unless otherwise fixed; others to a maximum of two years. St 1891, c 427, s 5 limited the term for drunkenness to a year, and St 1892, c 303 further limited such confinement at the reformatory to those aged thirty-five or less.

The 1884 enabling legislation had called for the establishment "of such industries as will enable prisoners employed therein to learn valuable trades" (St 1884, c 255, s 28). An industrial school was established at the reformatory pursuant to Resolves 1889, c 101. Following the superintendent's statement that the "educational features of the reformatory are of primary importance (Annual report of the Commissioners of Prisons, 1894 (PD 13: Jan 1895)), appropriations were made for a school building (Resolves 1895, c 45) and workshops (Resolves 1895, c 85)

Under provisions of St 1909, c 504, St 1910, c 345, and St 1911, c 604, insane prisoners could be removed to Bridgewater State Hospital. Males termed "defective delinquents", however, would be confined at the reformatory in a special department if under twenty-one; otherwise at the State Farm (formerly State Workhouse) at Bridgewater (St 1911, c 595). Resolves 1923, c 62 provided for studying the possible reconversion of the Concord site to a state prison, with the Massachusetts reformatory being relocated. St 1948, c 310, s 22 provided for the transfer to a new Youth Service Board of any male under the age of seventeen at the reformatory determined eligible by the Dept. of Correction.

St 1955, c 770, which reorganized the state correctional system, renamed the Massachusetts Reformatory as the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Concord (MCI Concord). Specific references to the reformatory were generalized to apply to all state correctional institutions (e.g., learning of trades: c 38). St 1967, c 723 allowed certain inmates to engage in day work outside the prison and to be segregated while inside; St 1970, c 478 provided that such inmates be fed, housed, and supervised outside the prison walls.

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agencies described above can be found by searching the following access points for the time period stated: 1884-1955--Massachusetts Reformatory (Concord, Mass.); 1955-present--Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Concord.

From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145429499