State Breaks Ground on New Women's Prison

The state of New Hampshire broke ground on a new women’s prison on Aug. 18, to replace the current facility in Goffstown.

Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, William Wrenn, the state Department of Corrections commissioner, and others spoke about the legal battles to bring equity and fairness to the criminal justice system via services, rehabilitation, and punishment.

In the 1980s, Wrenn said, a lawsuit was filed because the facilities were not on par between men and women. A few years later, a facility in Hillsborough County was rented for women but the prison population grew and during the last 20 years, the facility had become completely inadequate, he noted.

Hassan said the proposal was one that elected officials in both parties needed to resolve and showed that unlike Washington, D.C., in New Hampshire, people were working together.

“Today’s groundbreaking of the new women’s prison is a significant step forward for the state of New Hampshire, marking the culmination of a decades-long effort that will help make our communities safer, ensure fairness in our criminal justice system, and provide stability to our state’s budget,” Hassan said.

State Sen. Sylvia Larsen, D-Concord, said the current facility didn’t allow women to receive the same services at men but the new building will be a state-of-the-art facility that “enhances a sense of community” and will assist women with life skills training, substance abuse, trauma, and mental health issues.

“The new facility will offer space for incarcerated women to take programs that reinforce the importance of family, education, and occupational readiness,” she said, “as women prepare for re-entry into communities.”

State Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, agreed with Hassan that the bipartisan nature of the project showed what leaders could accomplish when working together. He stated it was long overdue, bringing parity to correctional programs. Campbell added that the project allowed the state to deal with corrections and not the courts.

Gilbane Construction of Bedford will lead the $38 million construction project.