Under Governor Hassan’s budget proposal, the state would receive a new women’s prison.
The Governor’s call for a new women’s prison came as glad tidings for public defenders and correction officials who’ve been fighting for it for years.
William Wrenn, the state’s Corrections Commissioner, says a new prison would go a long way in resolving current and potential lawsuits against the state for not complying with the 1987 federal court order.
“The facility has been the primary problem with our abilities to provide programs and treatment services for the women in parity with what we do for the men.”
Wrenn says the Goffstown prison is already over capacity by 20 inmates and another 25 are being held at the Strafford County Jail.
The new prison, which would cost $38 million to build, would provide three times the capacity.
The current women’s prison in Goffstown was built 24 years ago and was meant to be temporary.