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OpEd: A federal prison is proposed for Letcher County. Decades of research show that prisons do not bring economic growth. Let your voice be heard.
Judah Schept, a professor of justice studies, is interviewed about what the proliferation of prisons in Central Appalachia means for the region and country.
Alabama releases about 13,000 people from jail or prison every year, and they're expected to reintegrate into communities by sustaining employment, housing and other essentials. Many people face major challenges in finding stable work and income with a criminal record. Donny Jones, executive vice president and chief workforce officer of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and executive director of West Alabama Works, and his team have developed "Building Hope West Alabama," an online portal connecting wraparound services to people who were charged or convicted of a crim...
A recent report finds crime across cities in Virginia and the nation is in sharp decline. The Council for Criminal Justice report tracked crime data for 37 cities across the country. Across these cities, homicides were around 10% lower during the first half of 2023, compared with the same period the year before. ...
After Republican Congressman Hal Rogers inserted language into the latest House appropriations bill which would bypass environmental regulatory processes related to the building of a $500 million federal prison in Letcher County, environmental experts say clearing the region's old-growth forest to build the prison would permanently degrade the environment and increase the likelihood of severe flood damage. Julia Finch, Kentucky chapter director for the Sierra Club, said construction of the more 1,400-bed facility and prison camp would remove natural flood buffers, leaving the landscape unstab...