About Building a Prison
Building a prison involves more than just steel bars and bricks. While construction materials and specialized items such as the unique toilets may present supply issues, there are things to be considered long before any purchases are made. These include what kind of prison is being built, where it will be built and dealing with local communities. It can be a complex political process, but there are some common concerns.
Minimum vs Maximum
One of the first things to consider when building a prison is what kind of prisoners it will hold. The difference in levels of security change how and where the prison is built.
City Cells or Country Cells
Minimum security prisons can be built in more urban areas, and many city jails reflect this. Maximum security jails are generally built in more remote locations in order to enhance security.
Back Yards or Prison Yards
Local opposition is also a major concern when building a prison. Many people are concerned about putting a prison population near their homes.
Prisoners in the Community
Community concerns often center around how much access prisoners will have to the community via work release, furloughs or even outside work details. This also depends on the security level.
Jobs in the Community
One of the ways to overcome local opposition when building a prison is to hire local workers not only to build the prison but then also to staff it once built. A prison can also bring incidental jobs to the community through the input of a large work force that needs places to eat, dry cleaning, etc.
