‘A $360M mistake;’ Massachusetts should not rebuild women’s prison at MCI-Framingham

On June 30, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced a $20.5 million capital investment as the first step in a $360 million plan to renovate MCI-Framingham, the state’s prison for women. That announcement took Framingham officials by surprise, raising concerns about transparency, local input and whether such a massive investment truly reflects the needs of the women held there — or the surrounding community.

But the deeper problem isn’t just a lack of communication. Rebuilding this facility, which houses only 218 women, is a costly and misguided move — especially when the state has other tools to reduce incarceration and support women’s reentry into society.