For most local residents, the herd of cows grazing in the pasture overlooking the Concord rotary is a familiar sight. However, motorists on Route 2 may not be aware that this property is part of the Northeastern Correctional Center (NECC), which is a minimum-security and pre-release facility that houses about 200 male prisoners. While it is part of the Massachusetts prison system, it is separate from the recently-closed Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord, which is located on the other side of the rotary. A primary function of the NECC is to prepare inmates for a productive life after they leave…