NCJ Number
209653
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 143-171
Editor(s)
Curt R. Bartol
Date Published
April 2005
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the perceived impact of a new prison on future crime and personal and community safety.
Abstract
Despite the prevalence of new prison construction and the often-heated debate surrounding the process of prison siting, little solid empirical evidence exists concerning the impact of new prisons on host communities. The data for this study were gathered as part of a large study assessing the perceptions of county residents about the potential impact of a soon-to-be-constructed 550-bed correctional facility for juveniles convicted and sentenced as adults. A total of 3,795 individuals/residences in a county in southwestern Pennsylvania were surveyed, and 1,659 responses were received. Three separate location subsamples were constructed in an attempt to ensure adequate representativeness of residents in the areas immediately adjacent to the site and of those in progressively less proximate areas. The study used a Community Attitude Survey (CAS) that focused on four kinds of data: personal/demographic variables, awareness and knowledge about the institution, concerns about crime and safety, and perceptions about economic impact and quality of life. Three major findings emerged from this study, which both conflict and concur with the existing NIMBY (not in my backyard) and LULU (locally unwanted land use) literature. While a number of variables that had been previously identified as being important in explaining the NIMBY syndrome were insignificant or fairly weak predictors of expectations and concerns in the current study, the results also support previous findings concerning the influence of proximity on resident perceptions. The third and most compelling major finding from this study was the strong and consistent impact of beliefs about prison inmate visitors causing problems in the local community. Although racial prejudice as a variable was not directly assessed in this study, some of the findings could be seen as suggestive that such prejudices may be impacting community perceptions. Further research in this area is suggested. References, appendix, and 4 tables