Massachusetts Correctional Institution-Bridgewater: A Troubled Past

Once known as MCI-Bridgewater and earlier as the Massachusetts State Farm, the Bridgewater Correctional Complex opened in 1854. It was one of several progressive charitable institutions the state created as a model for communities around the world. However, deteriorating conditions for its residents shadowed Bridgewater's evolution from an almshouse to a prison and hospital for the criminally insane. A century later, it was among the nation's most notorious asylums. Historian Michael J. Maddigan offers a riveting examination of this infamous history, including the inspiration for state-sponsored welfare, moral and legal challenges and the experiences of the people who lived and worked there.

• | Author: Michael J. Maddigan
• | Publisher: History Press Library Editions
• | Publication Date: Feb 19, 2018
• | Number of Pages: 178 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover/History
• | ISBN-10: 1540228215
• | ISBN-13: 9781540228215