Minimum Security Prison Proposed for Prescott Valley (housing, rent)

[drenttel]

Originally Posted by Gretchen B

Hi there C-D Forum posters: I just wanted to get everyone's input on the 2,000-bed minimum security private prison proposed for Prescott Valley.

Of course on the pro side - 400 to 500 jobs

On the con side - huge impact to water and sewer infrastructure

Thoughts please: Good idea? Bad idea? Would this prison make Prescott Valley more or less attractive as a place to live?

I think a prison in Prescott Valley is a terrible idea we moved from a small midwestern town because a prision was built for blue collar inmates, and was to bring many jobs to the area, along with contracts for the hospital and business for the restaurants and hotels. The prison could not fill with blue collar criminals so hard core criminals were brought in, the jobs that were available were for only a few local people as the prision imported there own employees in. Would you feel safe taking your child to a hospital that was treating criminals? A Prision town is no place to raise a family, we own a home in PV have a business and have a child in school. We will leave if the prision comes to this town. I think there are alot of people that feel the same way we do. If the town thinks it is going to be making alot of money with the prision look at the revenue you will be losing from businesses leaving the area and deciding not to open in a PRISON TOWN!

[JeepGirl118]

Originally Posted by Gretchen B

Jeep Girl - Thanks for your input and first hand knowledge about the employment there in Maran, etc. I wish the paper would print more info such as what you have provided. I have a couple of questions for you, if I may ask: First of all, I'm curious as to why your cousin chooses to commute 5 hrs to Marana vs live there. Does it really pay him to do that? Do you think he really would consider buying up here in PV if this prison goes in? The PV home prices are a little higher than Phoenix, depending on which part of Phx. As you know, that's one of my concerns is that people who transfer to work at the prison won't be able to afford housing here. I do see the prison as offering some nice 2nd incomes for families, though. But then my concern is that other industries, such as manufacturing, etc, won't want to come in here because they'll have to compete with the prison for their labor force. Am I wrong on that? (Please don't hesitate to set me straight - I can take it.)

To And The - yes, I did read through the PBS summary, as well as do some other online research. An editorial in our newspaper points to another souce that paints a rather bleak picture about the economic development of prison towns: "The Role of Prisons In Rural Development - Do They Contribute to Local Economies"

I'm trying to keep an open mind at this point, and Jeep Girl has made some valid arguments for looking on the bright side. I just know that in rural towns in the Midwest, a prison coming in was always touted as "good for the economy", "providing employment", and while it did provide employment in some of those economically depressed locations, I really did not see any growth in the community that wasn't directly related to the prison itself (i.e. no new motels, no new restaurants, no new businesses). One town I know of did add one motel and one restaurant, but this town sits on I-70, so I think that may have had more to do with it than anything else. And I have a friend that works at that prison. As far as the town, though, it's really about the same, with some stores closing down (but that's typical for these farm towns).

Marana isn't a 5 hour drive. It's only 75'ish miles from where he lives in Chandler. For a transfer to PV - in his particular case, he doesn't want to sell his house in Chandler and buy up there because he would just stay up at my parent's weekend vaca-house up in PV on work days since it has no one in it for about 45-47 weeks out of the year (single guy, ah, the luxuries of single life...) He has rank in the AZDOC after 14 years - it pays him well. I'm not sure what labor force you speak of - you mean the labor force within by inmates?

[JeepGirl118]

Originally Posted by drenttel

I think a prison in Prescott Valley is a terrible idea we moved from a small midwestern town because a prision was built for blue collar inmates, and was to bring many jobs to the area, along with contracts for the hospital and business for the restaurants and hotels. The prison could not fill with blue collar criminals so hard core criminals were brought in, the jobs that were available were for only a few local people as the prision imported there own employees in. Would you feel safe taking your child to a hospital that was treating criminals? A Prision town is no place to raise a family, we own a home in PV have a business and have a child in school. We will leave if the prision comes to this town. I think there are alot of people that feel the same way we do. If the town thinks it is going to be making alot of money with the prision look at the revenue you will be losing from businesses leaving the area and deciding not to open in a PRISON TOWN!

What is a "low class criminal" VS a "blue collar criminal" VS a "white collar criminal?" White collar usually refers to Federal Inmates - money crimes, etc. Would blue collar be the decent-appearance Drug Dealers who lived in towns like...Scottsdale and made a half a mil + per year? I'm very confused by your term. Prisons *do not classify by caliber* - they classify prisons by security levels - minimum, medium and max. State and Federal are two separate entities. Medium/ Max prisons (often combined into one) is where murders, kidnappers, career criminals, etc. are housed (could get into it more in depth, but that is it in lamens terms for you). You seem to speak of things that you are highly misinformed on.

Would I feel safe taking my son to a hospital treating criminals? Yes. Because when I do take my son to the hospital, he is being treated by Doctors who are ALREADY treating criminals that have *just not been caught yet.* Guess what -- so have YOUR kids!!! (I'm laughing cause you are so clueless...) Hell, the Doctor himself might even be a crook or a Coke Addict (you are aware that Doctors and Nurses have one of the highest drug/heroin ratios per profession, don't you??) Not going to live life in paranoia. . . nor am I going to live my life with my nose scraping the ceiling. I have made mistakes too - haven't you? Well, so have they. Don't hate the person, hate the mistake. Have you even seen stats on Identity Theft - the #1 crime in America? But would those criminals be good enough for you to have around the corner VS someone who is in your minimum security prison around the corner who is serving for his 3rd DUI or maybe because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Give me a break, you talk about inmates like they are wild animals and not even human. How stuffy is that? That sickens me more than their crimes ever will.

[and the]

What is a "low class criminal" VS a "blue collar criminal"

Just a guess but by "blue collar criminal", I inferred that he meant people who worked for a living before they screwed up and went to prison for multiple drunk drivings, domestic assault, killing someone in a negligent homicide case, insurance fraud, gambling, etc. As opposed to people who are career criminals like drug dealers, murderers for hire or who kill during other felonies like robbery, burglars, hold-up men, car thieves, etc...

[Artliquide]

On the one hand, Prescott Valley seems to be growing quickly lately (people getting away from the Phoenix sprawl to create a new on in PV). On the other hand, PV does cover a large area.

I don't see anything wrong with it. Better to have a prison than to leave people free to run around because there's not enough room at the inn.

[and the]

Why not install a giant garbage dump too? Better to have a nice landfill that you can charge Canada and various US municipalities to dump into than to have all that garbage blowing around. As long as you put steep berms on each side, you'll never know it's there.

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by and the

Why not install a giant garbage dump too? Better to have a nice landfill that you can charge Canada and various US municipalities to dump into than to have all that garbage blowing around. As long as you put steep berms on each side, you'll never know it's there.

Maybe they could turn the garbage into usable energy, reducing electricity bills for PV residents. That might be more cost efficient than Canada and various US municipalities hauling their trash thousands of miles away.

Hey, maybe the prisoners could be turned into usable energy too!

[Gretchen B]

Anybody out there who's living in a community where a prison has been built in the past 10 years? What was your community like before the prison came to town? How has it changed since? Have you personally benefited from the prison coming in (i.e. are employed at the prison or are a business owner who feels like you've benefited)? Or do you feel the prison has had a negative mpact on you or your community?

Please share your personal experience!!!!

[and the]

Hey, maybe the prisoners could be turned into usable energy too!

Mmmmmmmm Soylent Greeeeeeeeenn...........

[JeepGirl118]

Originally Posted by and the

Just a guess but by "blue collar criminal", I inferred that he meant people who worked for a living before they screwed up and went to prison for multiple drunk drivings, domestic assault, killing someone in a negligent homicide case, insurance fraud, gambling, etc. As opposed to people who are career criminals like drug dealers, murderers for hire or who kill during other felonies like robbery, burglars, hold-up men, car thieves, etc...

I see how it can be taken like that - but depending on what type of neighborhood one comes from, many drug dealers are white collar with businesses (have to invest that money into something...) and the "perfect" family in a great neighborhood. They're not exactly what most would consider "ghetto" - or the side of the street in-the-alley type of guys.

Hold up men? LOL, that's cute.