Berlin Prison Preparing for Laconia Prisoners

SLIDING DOOR SOUNDS

Another reinforced door shuts behind Warden Larry Blaisdell.

He’s heading down a hallway to the Berlin prison’s two gyms.

“Basketball is a huge sport here in the facility, but they also have certain times of the day they can come in and lift weights and do some personal fitness and conditioning. That sort of thing.”

But the prison is planning to lose one of those gyms in order to house about 100 more prisoners.

They could be coming from the Laconia prison which is expected to close if lawmakers approve the proposed budget.

That means Berlin, which was built 9 years ago with 500 beds, would be housing more than 700 prisoners.

Warden Blaisdell says they tried to keep the cost down.

He’s using the maintenance crew and some prisoners to install bunks, new lights, showers, toilets, tables and televisions.

“This will probably come in at around $50,000, I think, for this conversion. It is very good considering we will be able to house an additional 112 inmates.”

Those expected to stay in the new dorm are classified as “C2.” That means in theory they are among the least-dangerous prisoners.

Still, Berlin’s prison population is going to grow considerably and it seems likely the staff size isn’t going to increase.

And Blaisdell admits handling more prisoners with the same staff will be tricky.

“We are going to have some challenges as far as making sure we have the staff to provide everything all the time, but we have worked out some reasonable plans.”

Blaisdell says the key is keeping prisoners busy. .

“The busier they are, the more tired they are at the end of the day, the less problems we have with them at the end of the day.”

Keeping them busy will be more difficult if one of the two gyms is being used as a dorm.

Major Dennis Cox is in charge of security.

He says there is a plan to have the new inmates attend educational or vocational programs two days a week.

Three days would be spent on work details.

“We always need work done around the grounds to keep them busy enough, but not as tired as I would like.”

Major Cox says 10 additional guards would allow more prisoners to be sent out on work details.

But he is not holding his breath.

“Twenty years I have been doing this and it has always been this way, we do more with less and it is because of budgets. It costs a lot of money.”

But even without the additional staff, Major Cox says security shouldn’t be a problem.

But Lt. Paul Casio doesn’t agree.

He heads up Local 255 of the New England Police Benevolent Association which represents prison supervisors.

“ I would say they need about 20 to 30 more officers in that facility.”

A Department of Correction’s 2006 annual report estimating about 20% of the Berlin prison’s population was “known to be associated with gangs.”

Ralph Woekel, president of Local 250, represents about 350 corrections officers and corporals.

“We feel it is a nightmare and an accident waiting to happen.”

The issue of security at the prison came up Monday night before the Berlin city council.

City Police chief Peter Morency said after talking with prison officials, he sees no reason to worry.

“They have convinced me that they were able to increase the number of prisoners here and it will have no impact to the community whatsoever.”

Other parts of Berlin could feel the effect though.

About two dozen workers at the Berlin prison could lose their jobs.

They are vulnerable because some workers in Laconia have higher seniority.

Major Cox says he is likely to lose good, experienced people with whom he has worked for years.

“I wish they didn’t have to go.”

For better or for worse the Berlin prison is ready.

The dorm is expected to be finished shortly.

The only uncertainty is whether lawmakers will vote to save 10 million dollars by closing the prison in Laconia.

For NHPR News this is Chris Jensen