290! 1 Corrections and Prison Practices—Civic Forensics
any opposition the public might raise. George finally acquiesced because he telt he was
promised by the various players involved in running the group home that the boys would
be monitored 24 hours a day and would not be permitted tree access into the rest of the
neighborhood.
Once the group home began its operations, George noted that everyday there were
at least two boys that walked to a nearby bus stop by themselves. He never saw an
adult supervisor with them. They also returned to the group home in the afternoons by
themselves. George was enraged at discovering this because he felt that lie was promised
something just so he would go along with the project. But now; the promise was never
going to happen. This is when George began his relentless attempts to have the group
home removed from his neighborhood. He continually monitored the premises tor any
suspicious or illegal activities, and he frequently contacted the police in order to lodge
complaints about "problematic" activities in winch the boys were engaged. Susan must
respond to each of these complaints with an investigation of the boys' activities followed
by a report to the local police. This often takes up a great deal of time and energy for
Susan. She wonders what happened to cause George to become so hostile when In-
agreed in the beginning to allow the group home into his neighborhood.Literature Review
In the group home illustration, Susan was the only person who seemed to have
something significant to lose if the project fell through. Frequently, especially when
a prison is involved, there are many people who have a stake in the outcome. Pagel
(as cited in K. A. Carlson. 1992) indicates that entire communities, especially rural
ones, actually want to have facilities built nearby, given their poor economies. The
town needs a large operation, such as a prison, to provide employment, commercial
activity, and inmate labor (Lidman, as cited in K. A. Carlson, 1992). Carlson provides
an example of this with the Clallam Bay Corrections Center.
Clallam Bay was a small community which recently had a large timber company
shut down, leaving high unemployment and emigration from the town. Once the
prison moved in, there was improvement in the economy and an increase in the
population. The benefits did not come without consequences though, as crime rates
escalated, causing residents to worry about their safety. Also, the process of building
the prison met with opposition and created frustration with the local citizens, much
like the situation with George and Susan.
The first problem arose with naming the prison. The residents of the commu-
nity had come to an agreement with those in charge of the facility operation not to
name it after the town. However, because of communication difficulties the person
in charge of naming the prison, unaware of this agreement, named it Clallam Bay
Corrections Center. This caused a great deal of resistance by the community, refus-
ing to cooperate with the process. Another major problem arose when many of the
local residents were not qualified tor jobs the prison was offering. Considering the
high unemployment rate in this town, new jobs were a major reason for residential
support. A final concern voiced by the community was inmate escapes—a common
reason for citizens to oppose local prisons. In its first year of existence, Clallam Bay