Committee told state will renovate Essex facility to add emergency involuntary procedures suite and repurpose eight beds for forensic evaluations

On May 9, the Corrections & Institutions Committee heard from Buildings and General Services (BGS) about planned renovations at the Essex secure residential facility that would add an Emergency Involuntary Procedures (EIP) suite and repurpose eight of the facility’s 16 beds to house people awaiting court-ordered forensic evaluations.

The update, delivered by BGS project manager Sabrina Karish, said the work will add a small addition on the east wing to include an EIP room, a consultant space and an observation room. "We are adding a small addition onto the east wing of the building for that EIP suite," Karish said. She told the committee BGS is finishing design documents and expects to start construction in the fall, subject to local permitting and contractor availability: "We are in design right now... and we're hoping to start in the fall of this year."

Committee members pressed for details about how the change would affect the facility’s role as a step-down site from the Berlin state hospital. The Essex facility was built as a 16-bed secure residential step-down; Karish and committee…