Opinion: As Prison Populations Drop, Shuttered Facilities Offer Opportunity

In an opinion piece in Governing, Deanna Van Buren describes how former prisons can be transformed into vibrant community spaces that are “far more useful, humane and fiscally responsible” than their previous use.

America continues wasting vast sums on its most spectacular policy failure, a system that fails communities while enriching private interests. The prison system represents more than wasteful spending — it's a profound physical, emotional and moral failure manifested in concrete and steel.

In recent years, the prison population has been dropping, presenting a unique opportunity. “If we dare to seize it, this historic shift represents the most significant chance in generations to redirect the staggering $1 trillion annual economic burden that incarceration imposes on our society but that does little to keep us safe.”

Van Buren points to a historical precedent for the same kind of redevelopment by the Department of Defense: massive military base closures in 1988. “Instead of letting 350 military installations become economic dead zones, the program systematically transformed them into thriving community assets — 92 of them became parks covering more than 18,000 acres, while others became airports, schools and housing developments, saving taxpayers an estimated $12 billion annually.”

Now, cities such as Atlanta and Concord, Massachusetts are undertaking similar projects for shuttered prison and jail facilities, making them work for the community rather than sit vacant, contributing to blight and economic decay. “At an even larger scale, Los Angeles County demonstrates what becomes possible when advocates and communities successfully pressure leaders to act with courage. Years of organizing led to billions once earmarked for jail expansion being redirected toward Restorative Care Villages offering integrated health and housing services and Safe and Secure Healing Centers ending youth incarceration.”