A Chronology of the Correctional Facility at Bridgewater

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AT BRIDGEWATER

MR 361M3 BY KIMBERLY M. URBAN C76 DECEMBER. 1987 1987 ~ I l ! 1852 Chapter 275 appropriates $100,000 for construction of 3 Almshouses for paupers. 1853 Almshouses erected under same plan in Tewksbury, Bridgewater and Monson. 1854 Almshouses officially open on May 1. Levi Goodspeed is first Superintendent at Bridgewater 1886 State workhouse established at the Almshouse. 1870 Supt. Goodspeed resigns, and Capt. Nahum Leonard becomes Superintendent. 1872 Almshouse D"llaJtmcnt is abolished and State Workhouse is established. 1883 Capt. Leonard resigns. On July 5, Hollis Blackstone becomes Superintendent. On July 7, the main huildings are destroyed by fire. 1884 State Workhouse re-opens in December. 1886 Chapter 219 appropriates $50,000 for Chronic Insane Building. 1887 50 insane move-in on September 14, coming from other asylums. Name changes to "Massachusetts State Farm." 1888 Chapter 89 appropriates for strong buildings for the active violent types. 1895 Chapter 390 establishes "Asylum for Insane Criminals at Bridgewater" on June 17. First Medical Director: Dr. Arthur H. Harrington. 1895 Great expansion at the Asylum and in the Prison Department. 1901 Conant Street re-located. 1906 Chapter 500 provides for a woman's prison. 1908 New Almshouse built on Conant Street-- Directors; Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. 1909 The women's prison opens. Chapter 522 authorizes innovative dormatories and swimming pool. 1912 The dormitory "Beacon Street" completed and in use. Administrative duties divide. "Special State Police" employed. 1919 Chapter 199 on August 27 provides supervision of Bridgewater State Farm transfer from the State Board of Charity to Massachusetts Bureau of Prisons. 1922 Superintendent Blackstone resigns. Assistant Supt. Henry J. Strann becomes new Superintendent. Drug Addiction Unit and Department for Defective Delinquents open in Prison Department in Tower Building and Beacon Street. Late 20'~ Top administrators removed. Dr. Hanson appointed Superintendent. 1930 Female Unit closes. Females move to Framingham. 1932 Robert C. Sherman becomes Acting Superintendent. 1933 Dr. Hanson returns as Superintendent. 1934 James E. Warren becomes Superintendent. 1942 January 1. two Deffective Delinquent inmates try to escape and murder three officers in the unsuccessful attempt. 1943 All State Farm employees become civil servants. The title "Corrections Officer" is established 1955 Chapter 770 changes the State Farm to Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater. "Sexually Dangerous Person" is defined. "Treatment Center" legally called for at Bridgewater. 1958 Superintendent Warren 1959 February 1, Charles W. Gaughan becomes Superintendent. Treatment Center opens. 1967 "Titicut Follies" Movie is filmed at the State Hospital. Drug Addiction Center opens 1971 Department Segregation Unit opens. 1974 New State Hospital facility opens. 1975 McLean's HosDital contracted to provide Mental Health Services at the State

1976 SECC established August with Louis Berman as Superintendent. Plans for the OCCC begin. 1978 Ronald Amaral assumes Superintendency of SECC. 1979 Penthouse II and Beacon Street Lock-Up open. Goldberg Medical Associatcs contracted to provide Health Services to all facilities. 1983 100 bed medium security Modular Unit and Rear Gate Construction completed SUPERINTENDENTS AT THE BRIDGEWATER COMPLEX MCI Storehouse building completed. 1985 in B-Annex (re-opened) and in abandoned Bakery. Modular Unit converted to minimum security. 225 beds added from Old Treatment Center for 1. Levi Goodspeed (State Almshouse) 1854-1870 16 Years medium security in SECC. Joseph Ponte becomes Superintendent of MCI-Bridge 2. Captian Nahum Leonard 1870-1883 13 years water. (State Almshouse & Workhouse) 1986 New Treatment Center opens. John D. Noonan becomes Superintendent of 3. Hollis Blackstone (State Farm) 1883-1922 39 years MCI-Bridgewater. 4. Henry J. Strann (State Farm) 1922-1933 10 Year 1987 Boyle becomes Superintendent of the State Hospital. Joseph Ponte becomes 5 Hobert C. Sherman (State Farm) 1932-1933 1 Year Superintendent of OCCC, scheduled to open 1987. 6. Dr. Hanson (State Fann) 1933-1934 1 year 7. James E. Warren (State Farm & MCIB) 1934-1958 24 years 8. Charlcs W. Gaughan (MCIB) 1959-1985 26 ycars 9. Louis Berman (SECC) 1976-1978 2 years 10. Honald W. Amaral (SECC) 1978 11. Joseph Ponte (MCIB) 198.5-1986 1 year 12. John D. Noonan (MCIR) 1986 13. Joseph Ponte (OCCC) 1987 14. Jerry Boyle (SH) 1987

" I n May 1852, Governor Boutwell was authorized by the legislature to appoint a 1883, Capt. L.eonard tendered his resignation, apparently because of investigations board of commissiollers to construct three alms~louses for the accomodation of being conducted against him. persolls who had no legal settlement in the state of Massachusetts Chapter 275 of On July 15,1883, Mr. Hollis Blackstone became Superintendent at the State tllO Acts oj 1852 appropriated $1 00.000 to construct the almshouses. Searching for Workhouse. While taking a walk two days later, at 920 a.m., Superintendent an appropriate location Southeastern Massachusetts, the Deacon Asahael Shaw Blackstone sighted smoke comming from a ventilator on the East Wing which turned farm In South Bridgewater was decided upon as the best place out to be the fire, which, by two o'clock that afternoon, left the Workhouse nothing but In 1853. the almshouses were all erected under the same plan, under the a pile of ashes. administraliorl of Governor Clifford, and were open for occupancy on May 1,1854, l Fortunately, Mr. Blackstone, the employees and the inmates, removed all by proclamation of Governor Washburn, with the following officials in charge at Impoltant records while extinguishing the blaze. While no lives were lost, the total Bridgewater Drs. Abraham T. Lowe and Bradford L Wales. and Mr. Nahum Stetson, loss in dollal's, however, came to about $125,000. The barns, sheds, and other inspectols Capt. Levi L. Goodspeed. Superintendent and Mrs Goodspeed, Matron. out-buildings had been saved and Gilman and Whalen, the two Workhouse The Institution Itself was a huge barnlike structure made of wood with four storied in prisoners who set Hie fire, were sent to Pymouth Jailuntil sentenced to twenty years the center section. the foul'th with three stones wings running off each side. each at Charlestown State Prison. All other inmates, except a few left to clean-up, The first occupants were able bodied volunteers, for the most part, of all ages were sent to Westborough f~eform School until December 1884, when the new and types never growing to the pOint where it presented a problem in control and buildings were completed. administration, Construction of the new Workhouse began almnst immediately, only because Under Superintendent Goodspeed, the Almshouse soon began reclaiming the the legislature was in session late that summer and was able to approve the land, adding farm buildings bUI'ding up its livestock herd, and seeing to the needs 0 reconstruction of the Workhouse. which began in1883 and was finished by the end its people. of 1884. Old foundations were used, but the buildlngsowere seperated into ten units, May 1, 1854 through December 1854 while brick was used for fire safety reasons. 860 Paupers--517 males--343 females Upon tile return of the Workhouse inmates, the population at the Workhouse for 239 discharged October 1,1884, through September 30,1885 was recorded 55 deserted 63 died Total Supported (all types)---1,121 Total adm itted---1 ,026 9 born at the instilUtion Total discharged---817 Total remaining---304 Decernebr 1, 1854503 paupers

(from the First Annual Report oj the Inspector of the State Almshouse, (Land 230 3/4 acres--175 acres cultivated; 25 fJridgewater) acres wooded; THE STATE WORKHOUSE 26 1/2 acres pasturage and cemetary; 4 1/2 In 1866. an Act was passed establishing a State Workhouse at the State Pauper acres water-works Establishment at Bridgewater to which so-called "viCIOUS paupers' could be 41 total employees Total payroll--$9,444.20). sontenced. THE STATE FARM Capt. Goodspeed resigned In 1870 and Captain Nahum Leonard of Bridge In 1886, the sum of $50,000 was appropriated to provide a building for the water was appointed Superintendent. chronic insane at the State Workhouse in Bridgewater, under chapter 219 of the By 1872. the Almshouse Department was abolished, and most of the paupers Acts of 1886. The building would accomodate one hundred and forty patients. The ~ then remaining were transfered to the State Almshouse in Tewksbury. From that Bridgewater State Hospital, as the department was called, was designed as a time until the present the institution at Bridgewater has been essentially a penal maximum security institution because the population consisted of insane criminals institution, not totally lacking Its original pauper element. since paupers have been types who were committed directly, or transferred from penal institutions and state cared for undel' one category or another right up until the present. hospitals Superintendent Leonard continued the fine work of Goodspeed as the nature of As the building was under construction, fifty chronic insane patients were the population at the institution was undergoing the marked change cited above. moved from other lunacy asylums into the institution on September 14, 1987. The Leonard increased the farm acreage, while several shops were added to the only construction problems which arose were when troublesome laborers had to be institutial efforts of the institution. After serving as Superintendent for twelve years, in replaced by non-drinkers. 2 Out being name be lor the construction of propel' and with the and

the nood lor accommodation yem it 01 1901. The Attendant's ums to unload theil authorized an addl!lonal house more mild. chronic 1 was made with Chapter 500. for a 'J'I Within the first Hlat more space was for the um, with theT' andJ' units Chapter of the I\cts of 1888. construction of Not untill1950 were made in the for the to Hie reasons, the recreation area of the ''I' and "J" sick closed observatioll clear from any in the n the mean time, in the Prison Uepartment was the institution continued. In 1990. first that of greatly due to the increased "Main Office" under 66 of soon to over-fill capacity the Acts of 1894. buildinas were erected in the Prison Department, "strong buildina. but also more space for trle Pnsoll cases." I\t this time, the Institution Clerk, was Mr. Henry ,J. acquired considerable held the position of Clerk lor a number of years until he the criminal Insane The Clerk's job sirnular to that of both a Prison rlad completeiy filled all avaiiable housing room. Blackstone decided to take advantage of population to remove the pauper element from the institution, and therefore, recommen ded a new be constructed on Conant Street. With 444 of the of Blackstone 1 the State deeded land Alden Street to Mr. Turnbull, in return for his Conant Street whme the new Almshouse stood bv 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were transfered with all the poor from tile new q which were t accommodate between 200 to 300 paupers. the number of female after the turn of the 500 01 Hle Acts of 1906 authorized provisions for a women's wtlich was in 1909.lt situated the street, on institution, connected to the main facility by a tunnel. It t:oused 1 when two women were moved to the Wonlens when ttle building was a State Police Barracks. The count Civil Defense and the Mel-Bridaewater In-Service school were then funds for Tower B located there. rlOuse the Male Defective housed Sexual '\ J Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Blackstone, 522 of the Deviants at the Treatment Center. Acts of 1909 authorized plans for a number of dormitories to house fifteen to twenty to the enactment of Cited above a NOrHl Wi had been eacrl. were to live with minimual supervision. The dormitory, corn rooms for'difflculf' 56 of the Acts in 1912, contained 27 wards for housing. The prisaoners dubbed trle 1887 authorized for the construction of a most section "Beacon Street" because of the in appearance to the It was in red on Beacon Street in Boston, The included a daring innovation--a recreational space in Prison The pool used untill about 1930 when it became the location bui this wing, were being an additional the Prison Barber Shop.

3 4 the of Beacon the period of enormous growth came to population because of "procedurally improper an end at the institution, and generally, it remained the same for 40 years. Tile influx of to the courts, and the pop however, decreased in number from 1910 in comparison to The opening of the Drug Addition Unit, cited, oroved to be counts. unsuccessful until the unit was moved into the Prison Director, Dr. Hanson, the decreases in this unit's population began in the late A decision was made of " administrative duties at the facility. Mr. Strann became the Assistant and was due to a of drug su in the nation, as well as, to "cold while Mr J, Arthur from Bristol House of Corrections, was appointoc! meHlods of treatment at master of the State Farm Prison, Mr. Renirlmin Rohinson, Drevioustv Deoutv of tl'10 The 1920's closed with the removal of top administrators, and the Farm, assumed the new role of the of Dr. Hanson the position of Mr. efforts were quite significant to the Prison. He and Dr. Hanson was replaced in for one year. He returned established the prison and the record-keeping system, both in use for years, as interim Sucerintendent. until1 when James ex -state Mr, Taylor, most importantly, introduced the first "case work" useej in the at which he served for almost 25 years In Prison, The Prison Depatment, now the Addition Center is a of HilS man's recommended Bridgewater as the proper location for an Little could be dOrie to upon Mr, Taylor's original frame work for Addiction Center for alcoholics treatrnent." Tho addicts were treated at the methods and philosophies at the Prison. He remained until 1929, hospital five years when in Jarluary, 1 the Drug Addiction addition to administrators, Superintendent Blackstone employed a seltlct Center was group of "Special State Police" to serve the prison need for occasional, necessary I March 1 the Governor issued an Executive Order which made all State arrest and for inmate transfers, With this increased securitv the Prison farmland in Ernployees Civil Servants. The tiLe"Correction Officer" was than established the rear of the institution was walled-up to control public with proper for all Civil Servant positions. /\t that the Local 503 of With the of the of the "Main " no great con the American Federation of Labor for the benefit 01 employees. struction was carried-out from 1 until quite In 1955. tho effects of the "Cherry Hill Riot" at Charlestown On August 27, 1919, 199 of the Acts for the year that the the Governor's of a committee to of Bridaewater State Farm be transfered from the State Board of Charity 01 the state. Dr. Wessel ofTufts headed the Few changes in administration resulted at conditions and the existing parole laws In the Commonwealth, The Wessel however, took on a more businesslike character, atlOut 770 of the Acts of 1955, which changed the names of existing institutions to the uniform, new title of Massachusetts Correctional Institution and the Assistant Super . The law also established service programs within each intendent, enry J. Strann, was the new During that same institution for officer In 1960, the school was located in year, a Addiction Unit and the Department for Defective Delinquents 1969. Hie school was "The Department of Correction the Prison Department (in the Tower Building and in of Beacon men from the Waltham and Wrentham State Schools were the first the facility filled up. From it's the program for the had a military another event had considerabl'3 impact basis, under the direction of Supervisor O'Brian, The term "Blue The murder of the two Logan of Brockton by a sexual was used to refer to the group, even after the uniforms were changed from blue to brought arJout a number of revisions in the sex offenders laws in khaki color. Emphasis in the program was placed on citizenship and rnoral the Dangerous Persoll" and that person's likely virtues crimes. The changes Iy called for a "Treatment Center' at Bridaewater, The center, where offenders were sentenced for one day to Department experienced one of the most violent treatment as op to punlshrnent. This philosophy of the history of the state prison system, in 1942, On January some time for the administration to become accustomed to, since correctional two inmates, Millard and Shepard, to "crash out" The plan backfired and inSight and modern methods were difficult to understand. In 1 the center three officers were rnurdered by the two inmates, in the process. In 1947. the two in the State and was moved to the Tower Buildino and Beacon del were executed at Charlestown State two of the last three to be In 19f)4. executed in Massachusetts. As a result of the incident, 150 inmates were transfered to Concord to all~viate the Is')! 1 Superintendent Warren retired and Charles W. Gaughan assumed the role 1, 1 I March 1985, Su Gaughan In the earlv 1950's the Deoartment exoerienced decreases in Blue retired after the Institution for 26 years. Ponte replaced Charles ;) 6 Gaughan in 1 after improving conditions at Walpole State Prison. surface 188:3. tho Modular Unit and Rear Gate reconstruction were completed. During the Gaughan administration, because of little money and a limited staff, it Dr'][ection Unit for contraband detection, and a Psychological Counseling was not until1 that a reorganization ofthefacility and a new brouaht about Services Unit in 1983.1110 DDU devf;loped a positive program to identify a more effective treatment of inmates. esoeciallv the users to deter contraband use and to monitor treatment .. 957 throuoh 1 the Modular Unit, the populalion increased to an average of 330 985. As treatment programs improved, with a Substance was Abuse Program, Inmate Orientation Handbook and a documentation of Bridgewater with Fred Wiseman's pro\Jram, the B-Annex with 21 inmates rooms: the abandoned Follies" in 1967. Regardless of the reason, positive steps were improving treatment became a 60 bed 1985; and the Modular Unll was converted to a of inmates as patients. minimulTl security 225 medimum beds became available in the Improved care is exemplified by the conduct which was granted to McLean's ronovated Old Treatment Center. The capacity at the SECC therefore, exceeded Hospital for psychiatric care, in 1975. It developed a mandatory gym program, 500 beds by 1986, and 670 beds in 1987. and SpiritUal programs. The improvements in As the SECC was expanolng, MCI- Bridgewater was undergoing a number of care also include the contractual award given to Medical Associates 985. the Superintendent Gaughan was replaced by Joseph Ponte. 979 for Medical Services. This upon the services under a Ponte remained for a year at MCI Bridgewater, in 1986, Medical Director. John Noonan assumed the Superintendency. that year, serious con Simular positive of the facility. A sideration was to the proposal of the jurisdiction of the Treatment new State Hospital facility in 1974. while plans were, likewise, being made Center to the of Corrections from the existing dual of for the opening, in 1976. of the Southeastern Correctional Center. In 1977, a Water administration under both the Department of Correction and the of Pol!ution Control Facility also went into operation, while plans for the Old Colony Mental Health. The change. however. did not come about, and the DOC continues to Correctional Center were underway. operate security, while the DMH directs administration and programming for Because of over-crowding, the SECC was founded by the Commissioner of patients/inmates housed at the Treatment Center. Correclion on August 16. 1 with Louis Berman as its first Superintendent. This As of MCI-Bridgewater continues to operate with two an new entailed of the patient of MCI-Bridgewater from Addiction and a Treatment Center. The Addiction Center is a 400-bed SECC Prison it under a correctional administration. for VOluntary and male 18 The facility as a medimum security unit to which, by order of the years of or older. 24 hour "open door" is Commissioner of the Department Corrections, were transffered. The daily coverage A 139 bed unit is available for "bed care" patients, while 309 beds are average count for the first year was 188 residents. Within two years, the available for the "general " No denials for admission are made. Chapter administration of the SECC became an entity unto itself. The staf were split III, Section 7 of the General Laws. allow for 10 days volunteers a majority) effectively and buildings and lands were formally seperated. The SECC and Chapter 1 Section :35, for 15 days commitment ("BC's"). A new Treatment control of the SECC Administration Building, Rear Gate Complex, G and H Dorms on Center for sexually dangerous opened in 1986, with a rated capacity of 157 beds. Beacon Street. Farm Buildings and lands, woodlands, Instution for The soon thereafter climbed above the capacity. Twenty-four hour Juvenile Guidance, K and the SECC Storehouse. The of medical services for each unit continue to be provided Medical nstitutional Steward was created for effective fiscal Associates. the end of that second year, the increased to an A new medium security center is scheduled to open the close of 1987, and of 217 prisoners. Since than. the population has increased, while nn'''TIII(> will be called the Old Colony Correctional Center. The OCCC is under the improvements continue to be made with to medical services, treatment, Superintendency of Joseph Ponte. counseling. education, and recreation programs, under the Superintendency of The building of this new medium custody prison and the recent administrative Ronald W Amaral. changes in general exemplify the dynamic evolution of the complex as a whole. One Barn and Dairy Program were rebuilt for a and such has occured in 1987 with Jerry Boyle's Superintendency at the State which a high mental health facility of buildinf:ls which situation continued. care for the dangerous ill. it has capacity of 330 beds. A house. 00 bed medmum to has occured at the State Hospital within the last 12 The number of State

7 R greater administrative flexibility and better patient care. The four facilities at the Bridgewater location comprise an institutional complex that has dealt positively· with problems of inmate/patient care and prison over crowding over a long and eventful history. The current changes seem to indicate that "Bridgewater's" future will continue to be as dynamic as ever.

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