Private prison project could bring jobs to Trousdale County, pr...

Trousdale County commissioners, wooed by benefits such as new jobs and additional tax dollars that a new Corrections Corporation of America prison might bring, will vote tonight on whether to support the ...

[Malone]

FACTS SHOW PRISONS DO NOT HELP RURAL COUNTY ECONOMIES

The facts:

1. Latest (Jan., 2007) unemployment rates (from Tenn. Dept. of Labor & WD) for Tennessee rural counties with prisons compared to unemployment rate for Trousdale County:

Trousdale County: 6.2%

Hardeman County (CCA prison): 7.7%

Morgan County (Brushy Mountain Prison + extensive construction going on for expansion): 6.6%

Bledsoe County (Pikeville Youth Prison): 6.8%

Wayne County (Clifton S. Central Correctional Ctr.): 9.5%

See anything strange about those unemployment figures? That’s right: Trousdale County has a better employment rate than all those Tennessee rural prison counties. Why? According to a statistical study by The Sentencing Project,“Big Prisons, Small Towns: Prison Economics in Rural America,” it’s because a vast majority of the prison jobs do not go to residents of the county of the prison. The prison guards come from elsewhere, most construction workers come from elsewhere, inmates fill the lower-wage jobs in the county inside and outside (during work-release) the prisons, and “spin-off” jobs (also called “multiplier effect,” or new jobs created in the community because of the prison being there) are really not created to any significant degree.

2. Per Capita Income (average income per person) in rural counties does not increase due to a prison being put there:

The above referenced statistical study that compared 7 rural prison counties to 7 rural non-prison counties actually showed that per capita income rose at a 9% greater rate for non-prison counties during the prison building boom period of 1982-2000.

3. The conclusion of the study:

“Reliance upon a prison as a means of economic development is short sighted and [does not provide] any long-term growth. The siting of a prison did not significantly influence either unemployment or per capita income. Moreover, once a town hosts a prison and becomes known as a “prison town,” discussion of other means of economic development is likely to evaporate. This is the real danger for the community. Potential host counties need to be particularly wary of viewing a prison as the panacea [cure-all] for their economic woes. Although the pitch may be enticing, the results indicate that there is little substance behind these claims. There is a high likelihood that these counties could be closing themselves off to other options of sustainable development.”

No decrease in unemployment? No increase in income for county people? Why would we want to become a Prison Town? Short-term profits for a few people (some who don’t even live here) and property taxes from a private prison (that will likely stop tax revenues from other business and new home construction ) are sell-offs and not good trade-offs for Hartsville and Trousdale County. Help us work to keep Hartsville from becoming still another Prison Town..

[s strickland]

The reason the jobs do not go to local people , is because most of the locals are not educated enough to hold such a job.... You must be proficient in reading ,writing and verbal comminution...For outsiders( like myself and friends) is is a great opportunity ! This little dying hammlet needs to grow,even just a small margin would be a boon for the new people that have moved here...!!

[lavenderstarfish]

AMEN!!!

[Countryboy]

Grow? Yes, but we do not need a prison, I moved here from Denver, just to get away from the noise, that someone called an outsider above, would like to hear.

[s strickland]

Countryboy wrote:

Grow? Yes, but we do not need a prison, I moved here from Denver, just to get away from the noise, that someone called an outsider above, would like to hear.

I have lived in towns, that have for profit prisons... and they brought a lot of money to an otherwise dying town.... the noise and traffic were managed very well,by the foresight of the town founding fathers, so to speak so if the "powers that be" will get pass their tunnel vision it can be delt with.... and maybe then this hamlet will not have 50% unemployment......!!!!

[s strickland]

lavenderstarfish wrote:

AMEN!!!

I gather someone else has run into the same thing I have ,in this quaint,little berg..?? maybe we could swap war stories some time..???

[same old stuff]

Prison? Why do the rednecks of that little hick town need a prison? Most of them actually belong in one. From the judge, da, and all the way down the ladder. Get real people. They just need to cut the welfare and put the hicks to work.

[Mark]

same old stuff wrote:

Prison? Why do the rednecks of that little hick town need a prison? Most of them actually belong in one. From the judge, da, and all the way down the ladder. Get real people. They just need to cut the welfare and put the hicks to work.

I agree with this guy. Everyone knows that only the leaders of these little corrupted towns benefit the rewards. The towns people will only foot the bill.

[rambler]

ref to "same old stuff and mark"
just curious, how many prisons does Nashville have?

[Mark]

A bunch more than Crossville. Isn't your county sitting at 2. Nashville has approx 5 total

[Im Moving]

Hartsville is steadily declining....The police and judicial system here are absolutely corrupt. the new prison is only going to add to that. The things I have seen first hand, many injustices happening regularily in this crappy little town. The people and the town are "stale" and "morally Lost". I've also never seen so many "sick" people.... i dont know if it's cause it's a "tobacco town" or what....maybe cause of a lack of education..... bottom line is...I'm outta here.

[Mark]

I've noticed that there are a lot of sick people living there. Perhaps it's the fall out from the Nuclear Plant? It's hard telling what might be stored in there. Speaking of corruption again. How many terms has that Judge been on the bench?
I've heard he has no legal education at all. If so, How could he possibly represent the town folk
fairly?