NCJ Number
135970
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (January 1992) Pages: 70-87
Date Published
1992
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article reviews arguments for and against the siting of correctional facilities in the community.
Abstract
Major factors in facility siting are community attitudes toward and reactions to the placement of a prison in or near the community. Arguments for siting a correctional facility in the community are based mainly on objective factors: positive economic impact, e.g., purchases from local vendors and job creation; promotion of good neighborliness in the community as manifested by community involvement of prison employees and public work done by inmates; and reduced crime rates in communities hosting prisons. Community objections to prisons include fear of escapees, decline in property values, prisoner families, quality of life concerns, and feelings of inefficacy. Despite the debate over prison siting, there will likely be a continuous growth in the U.S. prison population in the near future. Therefore, the building of new facilities and the expansion of existing ones will remain high on the public agenda. Successful prison site selection must enlist widespread community support through open siting procedures and continuous efforts to maintain good relations between prison authorities and community residents. These efforts must be maintained after the prison is operational because tense relations with the community will make the prison's daily operations more difficult. Future prison sites will probably continue to be located near existing facilities and in small, economically depressed communities in which economic benefits of a prison can make the most difference. 46 references and 3 notes