Opening of emergency shelter site at former Bay State Correctional Facility delayed to end of June

NORFOLK, Mass. — The opening of an emergency shelter site at a former Massachusetts prison has been delayed to the end of the month, town officials announced Thursday.

The former site of the Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk will not be ready to house families until the last week of June. It was previously expected to begin to welcome families in mid-June.

Governor Maura Healey’s Office told Boston 25 News in May the facility is in great shape and will be able to hold around 140 families in dorm rooms, with each floor having its own bathrooms and showers.

The former minimum security prison also sports a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a large common room and offices that will be used for case management and administrative activities.

“The site will be set up with play areas for children, as well as classroom spaces for adults to engage in activities that support pathways to stability such as ESOL classes, job training courses, and housing search workshops,” Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice said in a statement

Staffers will be on-site 24/7 and provide families with transport on and off-site.

The razor wire fence surrounding the property will be taken down.

The Bay State Correctional Center shut down in 2015.

Norfolk town officials say they will provide more information as it becomes available.

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

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