Medium security (women) — the statewide women's prison and reception center · State Prison · Massachusetts DOC

MCI-Framingham

Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (508) 532-5100 Info last verified: June 2026

Massachusetts's only women's prison, in Framingham — also the statewide reception center for women, and one of the oldest operating women's prisons in the United States.

Statewide rules that apply at every Massachusetts state prison

These rules are set by Massachusetts DOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Massachusetts.

Dress code

Dress modestly and avoid clothing that resembles what incarcerated people or staff wear; no revealing, sheer, or provocative clothing.
Each prison publishes its own visiting dress code and item limits — confirm them with the facility before traveling, since a visitor who is dressed out of code can be turned away.

ID: Every visitor must be on the incarcerated person's approved visitor list and submit a visitor application to the prison; the Department runs a criminal-history check before approval. Adults must show a valid government-issued photo ID at each visit. The incarcerated person can add new visitors only during set windows (the first 15 days of March, July, and November).
What to bring: Bring only a photo ID and what the specific facility allows in the visiting room — phones and bags are not permitted. Money for the person is sent through Access Corrections, never handed over at a visit; confirm each facility's item and locker rules before visiting.
Scheduling: Massachusetts has no statewide online visit scheduler — each prison schedules visits by phone and sets its own days and hours, so call the facility to arrange a visit and confirm the schedule. A newly committed person is held at a reception center first — Souza-Baranowski for men, MCI-Framingham for women — before transfer to a permanent prison.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Massachusetts

Overview

MCI-Framingham, on Loring Drive in Framingham, is Massachusetts’s only women’s prison and the statewide reception and diagnostic center for women — every woman entering DOC custody is received, assessed, and classified here, and some remain while others transfer. Founded in 1877 (originally in Sherborn; on the Framingham site since 1914), it is one of the oldest operating women’s prisons in the United States. It is a medium-security facility holding about 200 women, the entire DOC women’s population.

What Makes MCI-Framingham Different

It is the state’s only women’s prison and the women’s reception center, so every incarcerated woman in DOC custody is connected to it.
It is one of the oldest operating women’s prisons in the country, dating to 1877.
Visiting is limited during the reception period, so confirm the person’s status before traveling.
It is west of Boston, in Framingham, more accessible by car than many prisons.

Visiting

The statewide MA DOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at MCI-Framingham. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Massachusetts.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Loring Drive in Framingham, west of Boston.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Framingham and the MetroWest area have the full range of gas, food, and lodging. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham.

Mail

Incoming personal mail goes to the prison — Massachusetts does not use an off-site mail vendor. Address it with the person’s full name and commitment number and the facility’s mailing address (above); all incoming mail is opened and inspected. Legal mail is opened only in the person’s presence. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Massachusetts state prison:

Visiting in Massachusetts — the approved visitor list, dress code, and scheduling by phone
Mail & Packages — mail to the facility and what gets inspected
Phone & Video Calls — free Securus calls, video visits, and messaging
Sending Money — depositing through Access Corrections
Medical & Mental Health — sick call, grievances, and the Ombudsman
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, classification, and VINELink

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.