Bergin Correctional Institution was a low-security state prison for men in Storrs,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. It was built in 1988 as the Northeast Correctional Institution and received its first inmates on 13, 1989. After briefly closing in 1997 and reopening in 1999, the prison closed for good on August 12, 2011, due to years of declining prisoner population.

History

The buildings and campus of Bergin Correctional Institution have been put to a number of uses by the State of Connecticut. Before being converted to a prison, the property was part of the

Mansfield Training School and Hospital The Mansfield Training School and Hospital was a state school for people with developmental disabilities located in Mansfield, Connecticut, United States. It was active from 1860 to 1993. Its former campus, located at the junction of Connecticut ...

for people with mental disabilities.Pat Eaton-Robb
"APNewsBreak: UConn looks to lease former prison"
''Yahoo News'' 27 November 2012, accessed on 3 December 2013 As the Mansfield Training School, portions of the property are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

.. and The Northeast Correctional Institution was established as a pre-release center for inmates nearing the end of their sentences and specialized in preparing inmates for re-integration into society. It had a number of occupational and substance-abuse treatment programs available, and housed inmates in dormitory-style housing and in cottages. The prison closed in 1997 but reopened in 1999.Christopher Keating
"State Would Close Minimum Security Prison To Save Money Under "Plan B" - Donald T. Bergin prison in Storrs, CT"
''The Hartford Courant'' (Hartford, CT) 11 May 2011, accessed on 3 December 2013 On February 3, 2001, the name of the prison was changed to honor late Captain Donald T. Bergin, who had helped open the institution. The prison closed for good on August 12, 2011, due to years of declining prisoner population and budget cuts. The

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

leased the former prison for offices and laboratory space. The university acquired the property in March 2015, aiming to redevelop the prison sleeping rooms and gymnasium into project rooms and offices. These plans fell through, and UConn transferred the property back to the state in December 2021. The site is considered for the future location of a new regional technical high school, which would replace

Windham Technical High School Windham Technical High School, or Windham Tech, is a technical high school located in Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic is a city located in the town of Windham, Connecticut, Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is a for ...

in Willimantic.

References

External links

Defunct prisons in Connecticut Buildings and structures in Tolland County, Connecticut 2011 disestablishments in Connecticut 1989 establishments in Connecticut University of Connecticut {{Connecticut-geo-stub Mansfield, Connecticut