Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk, or MCI-Norfolk, is a medium security prison in Norfolk, Massachusetts
with an average daily population of 1500 inmates. Though it is rated medium security, it also houses up to 98 maximum security inmates. Opened in the early 1930s, MCI-Norfolk is the largest state prison in Massachusetts
. One notable inmate of MCI-Norfolk was Malcolm X
, who was also a member of the Norfolk Debating Society while incarcerated. MCI-Norfolk is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Correction
.
and penologist
Howard Belding Gill (Harvard
1913, M.B.A. 1914), who was appointed its first superintendent in 1931.
Gill was dismissed in 1934 after an escape by four inmates, and replaced by his deputy Maurice N. Winslow, who served as superintendent from 1934 to 1950. The name of the prison was changed to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk in the mid-1950s. During the 1950s, the Norfolk Debating Society, a team consisting of prison inmates, beat a number of university teams including the one
at Oxford University. The current superintendent as of 2010 is Gary Roden.
Norfolk, Massachusetts
Norfolk is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States with a population of 10,460 people in 2,818 households at the 2000 census. Formerly known as North Wrentham, Norfolk broke away to become an independent town in 1870.-History:...
with an average daily population of 1500 inmates. Though it is rated medium security, it also houses up to 98 maximum security inmates. Opened in the early 1930s, MCI-Norfolk is the largest state prison in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. One notable inmate of MCI-Norfolk was Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, who was also a member of the Norfolk Debating Society while incarcerated. MCI-Norfolk is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Correction
Massachusetts Department of Correction
The Massachusetts Department of Correction is responsible for operating the prison system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, US Massachusetts houses over 11,500 inmates throughout 18 correctional facilities and employs over 5,000 employees...
.
History
MCI-Norfolk was originally founded in 1927 as the Norfolk Prison Colony, a "model prison community" conceived by sociologistSociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and penologist
Penology
Penology is a section of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate treatment regime for persons convicted of criminal offenses.The Oxford English Dictionary defines...
Howard Belding Gill (Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
1913, M.B.A. 1914), who was appointed its first superintendent in 1931.
Gill was dismissed in 1934 after an escape by four inmates, and replaced by his deputy Maurice N. Winslow, who served as superintendent from 1934 to 1950. The name of the prison was changed to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk in the mid-1950s. During the 1950s, the Norfolk Debating Society, a team consisting of prison inmates, beat a number of university teams including the one
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
at Oxford University. The current superintendent as of 2010 is Gary Roden.
Officer Deaths at Norfolk
- July 31, 1972- Officers Alfred Baranowski and James Souza were shot and killed by an inmate using a smuggled firearm during an escape attempt.
- In the officers' memory, the DoC named their newest super-max prison the Souza-Baranowski Correctional CenterSouza-Baranowski Correctional CenterSouza-Baranowski Correctional Center is a maximum security prison located at MCI Shirley in Shirley, Massachusetts, United States. The prison opened September 30, 1998 and is one of the most high-tech correctional facilities in the United States....
.
- In the officers' memory, the DoC named their newest super-max prison the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center