Walpole State Prison: history and operations

Criminal Justice

Walpole State Prison

MCI-Cedar Junction, formerly known as Walpole State Prison is a maximum security reception center for male offenders located in South Walpole, Massachusetts. MCI-Cedar Junction also houses the Departmental Disciplinary Unit, or DDU (MCI - Cedar Junction, 2009). The prison has a capacity for 816 prisoners and usually averages 800 per day. It currently averages 420 employees, giving it approximately at 2 to 1 ratio of prisoners to employees (Toolan incarcerated at Cedar Junction, 2007).

During the early 1950's, the Massachusetts Department of Correction recognized that there was a need to replace the antiquated Charlestown Prison, and so the construction of MCI-Walpole began. The maximum security penitentiary in Walpole was completed in 1955. The original perimeter was made up of a wall with eight observation towers. An additional tower was recently constructed for the new Departmental Disciplinary Unit. The wall is now twenty feet high, with five strands of electrical wire along the top of it. In the mid-1980's, the townspeople of Walpole sought a change in the name of the prison (MCI - Cedar Junction, 2009).

The inmates that are identified as suspected Security Threat Group members upon incarceration are required to participate in the STG orientation while being housed in the general population. These inmates will be classified and housed in a similar manner to all other inmates. Any inmate who commits a STG related disciplinary offense will be subject to enhanced sanctions up to and including referral to the Department Disciplinary Unit (DDU). Upon this referral such inmates will be housed in the restrictive block in the East Wing at MCI-Cedar Junction (Security Threat Group Process, 2009).

Those inmates assigned to the Security Threat Group are more often than not gang members. A predominate gang found at MCI- Cedar Junction are the Latin Kings. The Almighty Latin King Nation first came on the scene in Chicago during the 1940s when several young Puerto Rican males organized into a club. Their objective was to help each other overcome the problems of racism and prejudice that newly arriving Puerto Rican immigrants were experiencing. The Latin Kings tend to use 5-pointed crowns for identification. To the older members, the 5-points represent love, respect, sacrifice, honor and obedience. A lion or a lion wearing a crown with a variety of inscriptions is often seen in association with this gang. Members identify with the colors yellow or gold (the Almighty Latins King Nation, n.d.).

In 2005 prison officials were forced to relocate hundreds of inmates when doors to their Walpole cellblock began mysteriously opening without cause. Inmates from the notorious 10 Block segregation unit at MCI Cedar Junction in Walpole ripped beds off cell walls, kicked toilets loose, and broke observation windows. All of the destruction took place while the inmates were inside their cells and there was no damage to tiers or common areas (Ranalli, 2005).

The inmates who went on the rampages were among 162 of the state's most incorrigible offenders. Immediately following the incident they were transferred to six other facilities around the nation. The three doors at Walpole's Department Disciplinary Unit which opened spontaneously was determined to be a malfunction of the prison's electronic door-control system (Ranalli, 2005).

The goal of any security threat plan is to ensure that damage and loss of life are kept to a minimum while order is restored as quickly as possible. There must be a plan that has been developed and that can be put into practice at a moments notice. In regards to incident that was discussed above, the spontaneous opening of the cell block doors was probably not something that anyone thought would ever happen. Once this happened though, the best plan of action would have been to try and once again isolate those inmates from getting very far. This would help to ensure that the damage was kept to a minimum. In a prison setting it does not take long for a small situation to get completely out of control. Having a plan that even though might not have addressed this situation specifically could have been activated when it happened would have been best.

The plan should consist of a facility layout so that officials would know where they could possibly have locked areas down in order to contain the inmates that had been release from their cells. There should be a manual override system in place in regards to the cell doors. This would allow those in charge to manually lock down all cells to help make sure that no other ones opened on their own.

Providing training to all staff ahead of time so that they are enabled to handle any such situation that might arise is critical. Every staff member should know what they are supposed to do and when they are supposed to do it, if an emergency situation should arise. Training and practice drills should be conducted ahead of time so that everyone is one the same page. Because human lives are at stake every effort should be made to make sure that the best possible plan is developed and available.

The security threat plan should be reviewed an updated on a regular basis. This will help to ensure that any changes that are made within the facility are captured on the plan. It will also give officials the opportunity to make sure that they plan is current and operational. This should never be left as a task that goes undone. Protecting the safety of the inmates, staff and general public should be a high priority at all times.

Summary

Walpole State Prison was built in 1955 as a maximum security prison in the state of Massachusetts. In the mid-1980's the name of the prison was changed to MCI- Cedar Junction. The facility now contains a DDU unit which deals with any inmate that commits a Security Threat Group related disciplinary offense.

This prison facility like any other across the nation has its share of gang activity that goes on within its walls. Those inmates that arrive at the prison and are tagged as gang members are immediately assigned to the Security Threat Group. This is done in order that prison officials can better cope with and contain the gang activity.