More than 20 families placed in Mass. shelter at former prison [Video]

A former prison in Massachusetts is now officially being used as an emergency shelter site for families in the state who are experiencing homelessness.Wednesday marked the first day of operations for the safety-net site at the Bay State Correctional Center, a former minimum-security, dorm-like facility in Norfolk that was decommissioned in 2015.A spokesperson for the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities informed NewsCenter 5 via email that 21 families were placed in the shelter on Wednesday and that “placements will progressively ramp up.”According to state and town officials, the Bay State Correctional Center has the space to accommodate approximately 140 families, which equates to about 450 people.Safety-net sites are for homeless families with children or pregnant women who are eligible to be in an emergency assistance shelter, but are on the waitlist. State officials said approximately half of families in the state’s emergency shelter system are newly arrived …