peakbagger
09-24-2012, 08:58
I had a chance to tour the new Federal Prison in Berlin NH last Friday. The prison is located at the northeast corner of the city and unless you knew where it was during the daytime, it would be difficult to find, I expect at night it will be quite easy to find by following the glow in the sky. The facility is located on 700 acres of land up on elevated plateau that borders Success township which is undeveloped timberland that happens to have about half the Mahoosuc trail in its borders.
The view from the front office and the visitors parking lot is spectacular with 270 degrees of the Northern Whites, part of the Kilkennies and the Mahoousucs. The facility is medium security with 1100 "guests" and many of the cell blocks have windows looking out over the surrounding mountains. The exercise yard has a particularly nice view of Mt Success and the Outlook (a small summit on a spur trail off the AT).
I wont comment much about the working of the prison beyond that the government seems to be quite efficient at housing individuals for the long term.
Unfortunately the downside for the spectacular views to the west is that the facility is going to be in a "windtunnel" during the winter and I expect that there wont be a lot of outdoor time. It is also in a local region of high snow, so some of the architectural decisions may have some unintended consequences. The facility was in place but not in operation last winter but given that last winter was the mildest on record, they really didnt get to experiencea real NH winter.
From the AT, the facility is visible from various northerly viewpoints along the Mahoosuc ridge. It is easy to find as it has a tall water tower and looks like a military base. There is an adjacent state prison complex that has been around for about 10 years.
They are having a slow time recruiting staff. They are actively looking for specialists as well as regular guards so if you want a federal job in the whites, the opportunity is still there.
The view from the front office and the visitors parking lot is spectacular with 270 degrees of the Northern Whites, part of the Kilkennies and the Mahoousucs. The facility is medium security with 1100 "guests" and many of the cell blocks have windows looking out over the surrounding mountains. The exercise yard has a particularly nice view of Mt Success and the Outlook (a small summit on a spur trail off the AT).
I wont comment much about the working of the prison beyond that the government seems to be quite efficient at housing individuals for the long term.
Unfortunately the downside for the spectacular views to the west is that the facility is going to be in a "windtunnel" during the winter and I expect that there wont be a lot of outdoor time. It is also in a local region of high snow, so some of the architectural decisions may have some unintended consequences. The facility was in place but not in operation last winter but given that last winter was the mildest on record, they really didnt get to experiencea real NH winter.
From the AT, the facility is visible from various northerly viewpoints along the Mahoosuc ridge. It is easy to find as it has a tall water tower and looks like a military base. There is an adjacent state prison complex that has been around for about 10 years.
They are having a slow time recruiting staff. They are actively looking for specialists as well as regular guards so if you want a federal job in the whites, the opportunity is still there.