May 7, 2010

Women's prison may close

GOFFSTOWN - Concord lawmakers have endorsed a plan to turn the Manchester juvenile detention center into a women's prison.

Under the plan approved Tuesday night by the House Finance Committee, up to 150 women would be moved to the Sununu Youth Services Center (formerly known as the Youth Development Center, or YDC) on River Road in Manchester, and 60 juveniles there would be transferred to another facility by June 2011.  

21 of the 25 members of the committee voted to approve the plan, which involves several changes to facilities that house women and troubled youth.

The plan, which was voted on as an amendment to Gov. John Lynch's plan to close a $220 million budget deficit, still needs approval by the full House and the Senate.  If approved, the move would close the women's prison in Goffstown and remove 120 women from it and 30 women from housing at the Strafford County House of Correction. 

Goffstown is run-down and overcrowded, critics say, and Strafford County is an expensive contract. 

The plan would have to be adopted by the full House, pass the Senate and be signed by Lynch before it could take effect. 

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