Massachusetts to Shut Down Oldest Men's Prison, MCI-Concord

Massachusetts officials are closing MCI-Concord, the state's oldest men's prison, citing declining incarceration rates and high maintenance costs. The closure is expected to save nearly $16 million in operating costs and avoid $190 million in capital projects. Prisoners will be transferred to other facilities, and the move is seen as a step in the criminal justice reform movement to end mass incarceration. State Sen. Jamie Eldridge praised the decision and urged officials to reinvest the anticipated savings in education, programming, and re-entry services for incarcerated individuals and communities affected by mass incarceration.