The Pocatello Prison Siting Story Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Moreover, growing number of prisons in rural areas or small towns has also become a matter of humanitarian concern. Since most prisons in the United States are overcrowded, heath issues have taken a serious form. However, misery of the prisoners is always a subtle issue for the mainstream population in America as majority of state prisons is situated in remote locations from cities, often in deserts area inland which are dusty. Even till a few years back, one acute problem occurred in the manner that double the number of prisoners were housed in a prison than is actually permitted, especially in the city of California. To deal with this crisis, in 2011 the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that prisons should hold only that number of prisoners which will allow to sufficiently maintain humane conditions (The Challenges of â€Å"realignment†, 2012). The case study of the siting of the Pocatello Prison is one example that reflects the many ramifications (both political and rational) that arose from the decision of building a new women’s prison by the state of Idaho. For many people, the issue of constructing a new prison should be based on rational policies. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pocatello Prison Siting Story or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now For example, a new prison is believed should be built in a site which can provide favorable cost-benefit ratios. Others suggest that a new prison should have the benefit of being close to a highly populated area although this idea is most often rejected due to the potential cost of land. Then, there are also favorable views in building a new prison in a community in which there are individuals â€Å"trained in corrections and law enforcement† (The Pocatello Prison Siting Story: A Case Study of Politics). This also explains that expanding an existing prison, rather than building an entirely new one, will serve the purpose of reducing duplication costs, e.g. one warder of the existing prison can be retained while a new prison will demand a second warden. However, in the case of Pocatello Prison siting, the State Board of Corrections faced more political hurdles. One important perspective that is held by any community is that a prison can serve positive purposes in times of recession. Such is the case of Idaho communities which have been suffering from recession for almost ten years. For them, a new prison means that it can become a source for stable jobs. Constructing a new prison means additional money can be provided to a community’s economy in the way of construction costs and then maintenance costs of the new prison. Also, the prison will become regular buyer of supplies.