“Not in my backyard”: The issues and complexities surrounding prison siting

The past few decades has seen an unprecedented growth in prison construction and expansion. As a result, prison siting has become a major issue in the criminal justice system. This paper presents a siting case to illustrate the issues and complexities surrounding the locating of prisons in local communities. It discusses several approaches to siting and their consequences. In the example, an authoritarian approach was utilized, granting relative priority to official authority and imperative in siting the prison. The community's interests and concerns were superseded by the need to build a prison. The role of the news media in defining and shaping the events and presenting a forum for the major groups to articulate their positions and concerns is also examined. The paper suggests a more collaborative approach toward community relations, such as designating a siting specialist, including community members in initial discussions, formally seeking their approval through a referendum, and continuing talks to ameliorate fear and uncertainties throughout the siting process. The need for good relations between prison planners and the community is crucial for a successful siting and long‐term acceptance of the community.

Keywords:

• Prison building
• prison construction
• prison siting
• “Nimby Syndrome”
• correctional institutions

Notes

The author wished to thank Brad Novak for his help in data analysis and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.