Our History

The Commonwealth's prison industries program was officially recognized and statutorily authorized in 1887. Over the last 133+ years, the program's mission of subsidizing the cost of this educational program while providing a meaningful vocational training experience has remained virtually unchanged.

Over a decade ago, the Department of Correction made a commitment to reconstitute the correctional industries program, which was rebranded as MassCor, short for Massachusetts Correction Industries. MassCor teaches the importance of work ethics and vocational skills to approximately 500 offenders. MassCor operates 17 manufacturing operations within seven institutions.

The 133 year-old MassCor correctional industries program benefits both offenders and state residents through a dual mission of providing a job-related skill set for offenders while subsidizing offender rehabilitation costs.

MassCor's customer base consists of Massachusetts residents, businesses, camps, nursing homes, schools, cities, towns, hospitals, police, fire, social service agencies, veterans agencies and others who can reap the benefits from our service of providing high quality products for a modest price. Going direct through MassCor can help you avoid time wasted with bid processes.

Our Team

Director

Russell Luthman

Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales

Steve Niland

Deputy Director of Operations

John Sullivan

Supervisors of Industries

Scott Anderson

George Marino

William Thibeault

Logistics Support Team

Joyce Rosenfield

ACA Coordinator

Christine Russell

Office Support Specialist

Demetria Charles

Inventory Control Analyst

Robert Berkiel

Technical Designer

Samantha Bellavance

Shipping and Receiving

Andrea Bucchanio

Byron Dias

Truck Driving Fleet

Rudy Centola

Al Consolmagno

John Barbosa

Robert Wright

Outside Sales Representatives

Laura Capone

Steve Cristol

Brenda Sjoquist

Inside Sales Business Representatives

Justin Holland

Denise Alves

Nicole Bielecki

Showroom Representative

Linda Staffiere

Institutional Operations Support

All of Our Industrial Instructors

The Institutions

MCI Norfolk is our largest institutions with multiple Industries Shops including: Metal, Clothing, Mattress, Upholstery, Binder, Furniture Assembly and Janitorial. These shops produce a wide variety of products that help support the people and businesses of Massachusetts. From State Officials to Non-Profit Organizations and the general public, the inmates of MCI Norfolk provide essential services. Metal finishing jobs are done in our minimum facility in Concord. During the pandemic each shop played a vital role in the community by aiding with the production of masks and gowns as well as emergency pillows, bedding and towels etc. used for COVID-19 responses.

MCI Shirley produces wood products in the furniture shop as well as sewing and engraving services in the sewing shop. Quality custom designs solutions are provided to an array of public and private places. Valuable work skills are taught to all offender throughout the industry programs for a successful transition back into community life. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, the furniture shop was repurposed to manufacture Acrylic COVID shields for a variety of customers including schools, town buildings and restaurants, playing a pivotal role in many re-openings and safe operations. The Sewing Shop assisted in producing two-layer face masks needed during the pandemic along with manufacturing sheets, towels and socks for DOC institution needs.

MCI Framingham, opened in 1877, was the second prison for women in the United States and is the oldest female correctional institution still in operation in the country. This facility is home to the Flag and Embroidery Shop where offenders learn overall manufacturing processes through sewing, embroidery and working with raw materials. Items such as: United States Flags, Commonwealth Flags, and embroidered clothing are among some of the most requested items.

MCI Cedar Junction Walpole was built in 1956 to replace the oldest prison in the nation at the time. Cedar Junction is home to the license plate and validation shops where offenders work with the Registry of Motor Vehicles to create license plates to meet the appropriate set requirements. In 2020, over 150,000 license plates were produced. Registry orders increased over this reporting period despite raw material challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with these challenges, the Plate Shop was still able to effectively manage and deliver Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) needs.

In the Old Colony Correctional Center, printing is the trade being taught at our full scale, state of the art printing plant. This shop’s inmates work in a setting which promotes a quality product and offers valuable skills which are easily t ransferable to private industry. Products offered vary from letterhead to forms, to city and town reports.

The Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater holds the location of our Silk Screen, Sign, and Decal shop. The Silk Screen shop creates high-quality custom apparel for the public as well as state agencies. The Sign shop manufactures regulatory and custom signs for state and federal roadways, parking lots, and buildings. They also make decals and stickers for state agencies and the public. Decals have been made for projects ranging from school sports teams to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The Silk Screen and Sign Shops developed strict Caustics and Toxins procedures which they adhere to.

NCCI Gardner is home to our Optical Shop, a full-scale eyewear laboratory equipped with modern state-of-the-art technology. This facility supplies products and services to many providers throughout Massachusetts. Offenders working within this industry program are trained on all automated and conventional processes that are needed to expertly fulfill the job.