DMR and DOC Plots A Prison

In 1986, the March breeze and chill switch from February to the upcoming spring season left MTS looking to start anew themselves. These new beginnings, however, did not start with an invigorating re-design of the school. Instead, we saw the beginning of the end. In data sheets from Director of the Physical Plant, George Clark Niles to the Director of Administration and Research at the DMR, Dr. Eugene Heide, Niles expresses their plan for closing buildings across the MTS campus. On a list of buildings described as ‘abandoned’ versus ‘closed,’ Niles explains that all structures deemed closed will be maintained post-closure by circulating heat within the buildings to prevent rapid deterioration, while abandoned structures would be allowed to deteriorate and fall apart. On the soon to be growing list of closures, closed buildings such as Greenlawn, Hillside 2, Overlook, Wayside, Willow, and Woodside would be maintained, whereas dormitories such as, Rubin, Binet, Fernald, Goddard, Matthews, Rogers, and Storrs would be left to rot. (George Clarke Niles (MTS) to Dr. Eugene Heide (DMR))

That same year, the movement of many MTS clients to group homes and out of the institution left them a surplus of buildings that needed to be maintained if they were to be kept as MTS property. In a letter to the DMR, Assistant MTS Director John Parson reflects on the need to “dispose” of the surplus buildings at the institution via a transfer to other State agencies, auctions to the public, or demolition. The reason was simply because the school was not given funds to continually maintain or upkeep these buildings. Framing this as not being in the best interest to the taxpayers of Mansfield, Parson explains that former staff houses (Birch Cottage, Pine Cottage, Overlook Cottage, Spring Manor Cottage, Hilltop Cottage, and Wayside Cottage) and former client residences (Matthews Hall, Binet, Johnstone, Goddard Hall, and Pavilion) are currently being unused and should be transferred or destroyed. The institution had previously requested demolition funds for Rogers, Storrs, Fernald, and Rubin but their requests had been ignored for at least 9 months. With all the plumbing systems drained and the heat being made to circulate previous staff houses, if the school is unable to transfer these properties quickly they will deteriorate rapidly post-shutdown. In the abandoned properties where residents resided, deterioration had already been occurring for over a year.

With a surplus of property and lack of funding from the State of CT, MTS needed to partner with a State agency that would take some of their buildings. In 1987, rumors began to travel across the Mansfield Parents’ Association at the Training School. These rumors would soon become a reality, as the President of the Association, Mary Lea Johnson, reports to her members that a proposal has been made between MTS and the CT Department of Corrections (DOC) to use the vacant buildings. The buildings being proposed would be across Route 44 from the main campus area. Between the DMR and DOC, conversations had begun surrounding which buildings would become available at what time, despite the concerns from family members whose relatives remain at MTS.

In a letter from the Commissioner of the DMR Brian R. Lensink to UConn President John Casteen III., Lensink commends the DMR’s ongoing relationship with UConn as they begin to work toward transferring much of the land and building space of MTS to UConn. At this time, Baker Hall, Johnstone Hall, and 12 offices in Dimock Hall would be transferred to UConn as soon as possible. The abandoned buildings of Binet, Matthews, Goddard, and Greenlawn are described as being ready for “immediate use” by the DMR (despite deterioration beginning a year prior) and the University will determine if they’d like these buildings. Longley School was also proposed to UConn, despite it still being occupied. Promised by the DMR to be vacated in seven months, UConn was given the option to use this property as well. Aside from removing residents at Longley, the same would be done to Wallace and the Wing upon UConn beck and call. DMR also offered UConn complete control of the sewage treatment plant at MTS. In the meantime, the DMR mentions that they will work to make more buildings available at UConn’s disposal such as Dimock, Brown, LaMoure, and Tredgold buildings. Farmland would also be fully deeded over to UConn, even if the land was transferred to them. In addition to the previously transferred farm property from 1969, negotiations would begin for the transfer of land north of Route 44 and west of Route 32 that includes water fields used by MTS. After the property is transferred to UConn, only then would a plan be developed regarding whether MTS or the DOC can use the land—completely cutting off MTS’s control of their own property.

The DMR did not stop their land transfer agreements here. In an Inter-agency agreement between the DMR and DOC, a plan was drafted for how DOC would use Dearden Hall and Campbell Hall at MTS. During 1988, the DOC had an immediate requirement for detention space for low security “offenders.” At the time, the DMR had control of certain land and buildings that were not surplus, but amenable for use as temporary detention and administrative spaces. The use and occupancy of these two halls would be given to DOC and allow them full access/use of appliances, beds, desks, chairs, and other equipment within these halls. The DMR would also provide all water and sewage services to DOC at these two locations as well as upkeep and maintenance. As far as security and safety went, the DOC would be responsible for all security of the adjacent grounds and buildings. Activities of the DOC should also not interfere with DMR, nor public access to the conservation ponds located near Route 44. It was also agreed that only Dearden Hall would house incarcerated people that were classified as low security and Campbell Hall should only be used for staff training and administrative purposes. Since MTS could no longer financially sustain their building or keep them from deteriorating, the DMR proposed that the DOC would assume all responsibility for buildings and ground maintenance that included: routine cleaning, building maintenance, structural integrity, electrical, plumbing, painting, carpentry, heating, snow removal, lawn care, landscaping paving, signs, safety, and related items at its expense. The DOC will also have the responsibility of providing medical care and food services at both halls. This agreement, drafted by the DMR and DOC, will be for a term of five years from the date of its execution and could be terminated upon 120 days’ notice.

Unheard Concerns and Government Control

While parents, CARC, and others within the Mansfield community opposed the establishment of a prison on the MTS grounds, the courts ruled in the favor of DOC (more information on this lawsuit in “CARC Lawsuit and MTS” tab on this website), the courts felt that because of a ‘buffer zone’ the residents would not be ‘stigmatized.’

The reason for their opinion being that the buffer zone would act as a barrier so that the two institutions would not be confused. It is also stated in the court documents that under no circumstances shall the word “Mansfield” or any name that alludes to the position or institution of MTS be used when referring to the position of the prison. In short, the court moves to find the proposed stipulation a reasonable compromise of the State’s interests. Therefore, the Stipulation and Order as submitted in settlement of the dispute is accepted and approved. The Motion for Expedited Order and Prohibit Summary Transfers of Classmembers from Dearden and Campbell Hall is denied.

Since court approval of the DOC use of MTS was granted, Governor O’Neil announced the formation of a Task Force on Mansfield Training School. This group, which included state agency heads, local officials, and advocates, were charged with devising a plan for the future of MTS.

The Task Force mentioned that it was their goal to present a plan that recognizes and builds on the value and importance of this property as a state and local resource, not reflecting the individuals who inhabited the facility for years. With deinstitutionalization and changes in program emphasis, many MTS buildings, according to the report, became underutilized. Consequently, this attracted the attention of the DOC, which has faced their own overcrowding problems for many years (much like MTS). While the Task Force generated out of this collaboration between DMR and DOC, their deliberations shaped the future of MTS and its usage. While alluding to the categorization of the DOC prison and MTS as devalued uses of the property, the Task Force believed that all available property in the remaining MTS area should be given to “valued uses” to create a new public image of MTS. These ‘new uses’ would then outweigh any negative image that the DOC may impart on the area as a whole.

The End of MTS and The Beginning of UConn’s Expansion

After deliberation, the Task Force constructed a reuse plan that was proposed to all parties involved in the reuse plan. By way of overview, the majority proposed that the main MTS campus would be used to accommodate the needs of UConn and provide opportunities for development of needed local housing in the northern and south central portions of the main campus; preserving active prime farmland; and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land areas would be transferred to the Town of Mansfield for their State agencies’ use. DMR will, however, remain in control of six buildings (Thompson, Merrit, Colchester, Chaplin, Hampton, and Lebanon) for their remaining clients until they are moved.

The Task Force recommends that UConn and local recreations such as the Department of Recreations and Greater Mansfield Council of the Arts take control over Longley School—a prime buffer building. The public of Mansfield, should also be able to make full use of the gymnasium in the school and auditorium as part of this agreement, which includes athletic fields adjacent to the school. UConn will also be given access and use of the cottages located on Bone Mill Rd that will be vacated by June 1991. UConn anticipates using these cottages as home offices and work spaces for a number of small study centers scattered across the Storrs campus, including graduate housing. Dimmock, though it has a significant amount of asbestos, like all MTS buildings, will also be given to UConn as well as all remaining farmland lying west of Route 32 and east of Route 32. At the end of this report, the Task Force includes budget proposals for the reuse plan and steps moving forward financially. The Task Force recommended two items: an authorization of $1.56 million to enable DMR to renovate 6 buildings for its long term use of MTS; and, an initial authorization of $8 million for the Department of Public Works (DPW) to cover a variety of costs. This would include renovations to Longley, the Brown buildings, and the Bone Mill Road cottages for UConn’s occupancy, and the removal of asbestos from Dimmock. UConn has also estimated that 7 positions and $284,000 in operating costs will be needed in 1991 as they have agreed to assume public safety responsibilities at MTS that previously fell to DMR. While there is no further talk of money transfers to UConn for MTS, it seems interesting to note the State’s consideration of spending such a large amount of money on the reuse of MTS when, for decades, the institution had been filing for basic renovations of their decaying buildings that residents were forced to inhabit.

As the MTS comes to a final close, and UConn takes over most of the operations, the institution remains as desolate and barren as it would have been in those final years before its closure. The rapid deterioration and immense amounts of asbestos has left the campus unusable to UConn. And, while many of the older buildings were registered as historic places in 1987 for their architecture and ‘social/humanitarian’ uses, these buildings have not been upkept. Building constructed between 1800 and 1935 fell into the category of historic places. Some of the buildings included on this nomination form were: Baker Hall, Dimock Hall, Goddard Hall, Knight Hospital, LaMoure Hall, Storrs Hall, Wallace Hall, Tredgold Hall, multiple cottages and barns, Rogers Hall, and more. Therefore, these buildings were protected due to their cultural heritage value. Today, they remain standing, but barely. Though the Mansfield Training School and the University of Connecticut have grown-up together, only one has flourished and survived to the 21st century. So interconnected, yet distant, it is important to note the status of MTS today and acknowledge what has happened to the site.