MORE NH-DOC PRISON TOURS SCHEDULED

(Concord, NH) The New Hampshire Department of Corrections announced that the public is invited to tour two of its prisons on June 21 and 22, 2001. Public tours of the Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility in Berlin will be provided on Thursday, June 21. Tours of the Lakes Region Facility in Laconia will be offered on June 22.

Corrections Commissioner Phil Stanley said, "The public has a right to know how their taxes are used to operate the prisons. They will have an opportunity to understand modern prison life and the programs that work to change offender behavior. We think this is information that is vital to the citizens of New Hampshire and their better understanding of Corrections as a whole."

The tours will run approximately one hour. Individuals are urged to be at the facility at least twenty minutes prior to the tour. Designated prison staff will describe different aspects of prison life and programs.

For security purposes, certain stipulations apply.

1. Each individual must have a proper photo identification
2. No photography or tape recording equipment will be allowed on the tours
3. The prisons are tobacco-free institutions
4. Appropriate dress is requested.
5. Participants must be age 17 or older (18 + for NCF).