Mass. DOC ends housing of inmates at MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole, dissolves disciplinary unit

WALPOLE, Mass. — The state Department of Correction on Wednesday announced that it has ended inmate housing operations at one of Massachusetts’ oldest correctional facilities and dissolved the prison’s disciplinary unit.

As of Friday, inmates that were housed at MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole have been transferred to other prisons in Massachusetts, officials said.

Some of the most notorious criminals to make headlines have been inmates at the maximum-security prison, MCI-Cedar Junction, including Albert DeSalvo, known as “The Boston Strangler,” New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, mobster Stephen Flemmi, and John Salvi, a gunman who carried out fatal shootings at two abortion facilities in Brookline in 1994.

The state also has discontinued the Department Disciplinary Unit at Cedar Junction, officials said. The department finalized the relocation of Cedar Junction’s reception and diagnostic center to the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in June 2022.

“Amid the state’s lowest prison population in 35 years, the Department embarked on this effort last year to enhance operational efficiency and advance cost-saving solutions. Completed ahead of schedule, the DOC has ended Cedar Junction’s general population housing, relocated its reception and diagnostic center, and dissolved the Department Disciplinary Unit,” state Department of Correction officials said in a statement. “This achievement marks a significant milestone toward the Department’s goal to eliminate restrictive housing and advance discipline reform.”

Department of Correction Commissioner Carol Mici said the move is “a major advancement toward our goal to eliminate restrictive housing in the DOC.”

“Dissolving the Department Disciplinary Unit ahead of our 2-year reorganization plan was no easy task, and we are proud of the major strides in achieving meaningful change in our approach to managing individuals under our care,” Mici said.

Massachusetts Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy, in a statement, also commended the change.

“Massachusetts is a national leader in reducing incarceration, which has resulted in a record low prison population,” Reidy said. “The strategic consolidation of resources is financially prudent and provides the opportunity to deepen investments in the programs and services that support successful reentry and rehabilitation. I commend Commissioner Mici and the DOC team for their diligence in completing this goal and their steadfast dedication to delivering effective services to those in DOC’s care.”

In April 2022, the DOC announced a three-phase, two-year plan to transfer inmates living at MCI-Cedar Junction to other DOC facilities, state prison officials said. At that time, Cedar Junction was operating at 68% capacity with a population of approximately 525 inmates.

The plan also included relocating Cedar Junction’s reception and diagnostic center to the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, “a more modern, climate-controlled facility where living spaces better reflect those that incarcerated individuals will experience after their initial 60-90-day classification is complete,” state prison officials said.

The decision to end inmate housing at Cedar Junction “was based on a thorough assessment of needs, the aging facility’s exorbitant maintenance costs, a department-wide plan to consolidate operational facilities, and its alignment with the Department’s commitment to eradicate restrictive housing and reform its approach to discipline,” officials said.

A limited number of Department of Correction personnel remain on-site to ensure facility safety and perform routine maintenance, officials said. A process is underway to transition the remaining correctional staff to other assignments as needed.

Opened in 1955, MCI-Cedar Junction is one of Massachusetts’ oldest correctional facilities.

“The physical plant’s aging infrastructure became costly to maintain and required significant repairs,” officials said.

An assessment of facility needs by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance identified nearly $30 million in necessary infrastructure repairs, including an estimated $22 million in essential electrical upgrades, officials said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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