Prison Escapes and Community Consequences: Results of a Case Study

• NCJ Number: 124920
• Journal: Federal Probation Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1990) Pages: 36-42
• Author(s): K A Carlson
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 85-IJ-CX-0022
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

Studies have shown that the most notable effect of prisons on communities is their contribution to the local economy; most of the commonly feared negative consequences either do not appear or are minimal.

Abstract

This paper is an account of a new prison community and the various ways its residents have responded to prison security issues. At the Clallom Bay Correction Center in Washington State, security is at the core of corrections practices; for communities serving as prison locales security is significant primarily in terms of the effects its breach may have on the community. The message for corrections from this study is that escapes do matter, and they matter in association with other negative prison effects which can lead to personally significant lifestyle changes. Most prison community residents adjust to the consequences of escapes in a way that allows them to see the prison as largely beneficial and thus tolerable. 3 notes, 16 references.