FCI Danbury Transition to Male Prison
The Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Danbury is a low-security US federal prison in southwestern Connecticut. When it first opened in 1940, it was used to house male inmates. Since 1993, it has been housing only female prisoners, but that’s about to change. By December 2013, all the female inmates will be shipped to other federal prisons, such as a brand new one opening in Alabama. Male inmates will begin moving into FCI Danbury by January 2014. Not surprisingly, this transition presents some hardships for the female inmates currently in FCI Danbury.
Visitation Difficulties
The female inmates from the Northeast likely have family and friends who currently make the short trip to visit them. According to the CT Mirror, the move to other prisons, such as the one in Aliceville, Alabama, will inconvenience the families of the 1,126 women in the low-security federal prison. This is because it will take them about 1,000 miles away from Connecticut. FCI Danbury mostly houses women from New York, New Jersey, and surrounding areas, which is why the move to Alabama or other states is predicted to be such a hardship for most of the inmates and their family members.
Many of the inmates have children and spouses who regularly visit them at FCI Danbury, but after the transition, they might not be able to without taking a long car ride or even traveling by plane. Studies show that children of inmates are already more likely to do poorly academically and display criminal behavior themselves, and not having contact with their mothers simply worsens the issue.