On June 30, just as many of her constituents and legislators were about to begin the July 4 holiday weekend, Gov. Maura Healey announced a massive $360 million plan to “re-imagine” Framingham women’s prison. The only prison for women in the state. Seemingly, she did this with no consultation with legislators who three years ago passed a bill, introduced by state Sen. Jo Comerford, calling for a 5-year moratorium on new jail and prison building. Comerford’s bill was vetoed by then Gov. Charlie Baker. The same bill has been introduced in the current session with wide support. Healey did this despite the fact that dozens of advocacy organizations throughout the state, including the Real Cost of Prisons Project, worked for years to pass the moratorium bill. She did this despite a desperate need for investments in affordable housing.
As of Jan. 1, 2025, there were 206 women incarcerated at Framingham at a cost of $235,000 per woman per year. The oldest woman at Framingham is 78 years old. Some have dementia and cannot remember why they are there. Many are very ill, some use wheelchairs and could be eligible for medical parole if medical parole were functioning as it should. Others could be paroled since they have served very long sentences and pose no risk to the public. Clemency is also possible for some, if the governor followed the clemency reforms she introduced in 2023. Some women are there for minor crimes and could be housed in pre-release centers where they would have the opportunity to have jobs, earn money and begin their reintegration into their communities.
According to Susan Sered, professor of sociology and criminology at Suffolk University, “the findings of the Ripples Report (Strategic Plan for Women Who Are Incarcerated in Massachusetts) commissioned by the DOC, are consistent with our review of over 200 published studies showing that correctional institutions, however well designed, are not suited for therapeutic and rehabilitative goals. Indeed, research cited by HDR, the architectural firm contracted to build the re-imagined prison, argues for diverting women from prison rather than for building new women’s prisons. The HDR report highlights studies documenting the harm incarceration causes to people’s health and the difficulty of providing adequate care behind bars — in contrast to the tangible benefits of policies that reduce rates of incarceration.”
What is incomprehensible is why Gov. Healey has chosen this hugely costly route. She has circumvented the language of the moratorium by maintaining the $360 million will not be for a new prison but a “re-imagining” of Framingham. She has overruled the votes of the majority of legislators and the careful opinions of advocates. She has disregarded the testimony of women at Framingham who have said again and again that they do not want a new prison. They want investments in education and job training that will allow them to find decent 21st century employment, not sewing flags. She has disregarded studies commissioned by DOC, and other experts and most especially the experiences of women incarcerated in Framingham.
Healey’s announcement included no detail as to how this came about and who is involved in the planning. Numerous public information requests have just been filed by incarcerated people and advocates seeking information about the requests for proposals related to planning and construction for the $360 million “renovation,” requests for proposals for planning documents related to programs and services to be delivered, what legislators, if any, were involved in the secretive process and what, if any, assessments were done to invest in and alternatives to incarceration for women incarcerated at Framingham.
If the DOC and Healey respond to our requests for information, we might learn what led her to do this. For now, we do not know who is involved in the secretive controversial “re-imagined” Framingham. It remains a $360 million mystery.
Lois Ahrens is the founder of The Real Cost of Prisons Project, a national organization based in Northampton.