Inspired by an interest in crime and investigative journalism, Liesel Nygard, secretary and volunteer at the Warwick Historical Society, has begun a project researching the Warwick Prison Camp.

The Warwick Prison Camp, located at what is now Warwick State Forest on Richmond Road, opened in the early 1960s and closed in the early 1990s. The camp closed after a new septic system was installed, causing run-off into a brook that fed into Richard’s Reservoir, polluting it.

The camp housed up to 100 lower-security inmates at one time, according to Nygard. Prior to being a prison camp, the area served as a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp during the Great Depression from 1934 to 1937.

Inmates were involved in all aspects of work around the camp, including kitchen maintenance, logging, road work and basket-making. This allowed them to re-enter society with job skills, Nygard explained. Prison escapes were rare, she said, noting that when inmates did escape and were re-captured, they were sent to a higher-security facility.

Nygard, a sophomore journalism major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who recently began this research, discovered there was very limited information online about the prison camp.

“I was surprised not to see a lot of articles online,” Nygard recalled. Despite this, she said it is “a fascinating project” that has “become a larger project than I intended.”

As for a completion date she said, “I don’t want to rush. I want to get the research right.”

Nygard’s interest in journalism began in high school after taking an online class at Pioneer Valley Regional School.

“I really liked learning other people’s stories,” she recalled. “What attracted me most were stories behind closed doors. I was interested in the darker side of history, in the investigative side of history.”

While at UMass Amherst, she took a class titled Journalism in Jail.

“During our studies, we would read a lot of stories from the Prison Journalism Project,” she said. “The point of the class was to really focus on the viewpoint of inmates in prison facilities.”

As part of an assignment for that class, she and several other students wrote an opinion piece focusing on mental health services provided at the Hampden County Correctional Center.

“I took a tour of the Hampden County Correctional Facility to find out what the facility does in terms of mental health services for their inmates,” Nygard explained. “Once I got the tour, I knew that this (crime and investigative journalism) is what I wanted to do. It created a point of certainty for me.”

While considering a research project she would want to become involved in for the Warwick Historical Society, she said, “I was thinking about what area would give me some experience and help with my journalism career.” Due to her interest in investigative and crime journalism, she chose to research the prison camp.

“I have an interest in investigative and crime journalism, so it was a perfect fit,” Nygard said. “Writing about the prison camp is great for me and great for my future resume.”

Nygard hopes to collect oral histories from people who were involved with the Warwick Prison Camp, as well as photos and any other kind of documentation regarding the prison camp. Those who may have information can contact Nygard at lieselmnygard27@gmail.com.

Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on history with a particular interest in the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.

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