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Public Response to Prison Siting

Perceptions of Impact on Crime and Safety

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, rmartin{at}iup.edu

David L. Myers

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

In recent decades, prison populations and prison construction both have increased dramatically bringing issues related to prison siting to the forefront. Although the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome often is discussed in prison literature, relatively little empirical research has been devoted to this topic. Based on a survey of residents in a county in which construction of a new prison was just beginning, this article focuses on the perceived impact of the new prison on future crime and personal and community safety. Consistent with the literature, proximity to the prison and several demographic variables were significant predictors of perceptions of prison impact. However, concerns about prison visitors coming into the community had the strongest impact on these perceptions.

Key Words: prison siting • community perceptions • NIMBY • LULU

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