Oldest Mass. prison to shut down

The oldest prison in Massachusetts will close because the number of prisoners in the state is declining.

What's happening: The Department of Correction will shut down the 146-year-old MCI-Concord by the summer.

• DOC staff and prisoners will be transferred to other facilities.
• The prison is currently at 50% capacity

Why it matters: The prison population has fallen by nearly half over the last ten years, from over 11,000 in 2013 to just over 6,000 last year.

• The old prison campus off Rt. 111 in west Concord is outdated and costly to operate.
• MCI-Cedar Junction was closed last year for similar reasons.

DOC still operates correctional institutions in Framingham, Norfolk and Shirley, with other facilities in Gardner, Bridgewater, Lancaster and other sites around the state.

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