Prison Proliferation Project

Urban Institute, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Mass incarceration has been made possible by the prison boom, a tripling in the number of prison facilities since 1970. This project examines both the causes and consequences of the prison boom. It considers where and why prisons are built, how these places are changed by a prison, and the impact of prison closures. Communities where prisons are built tend to be more rural, have higher rates of poverty, and have disproportionate shares of certain demographic groups. This research considers how closing prisons affects poverty in such communities. The project produces a comprehensive data file spanning over 100 years that links data on prison construction to communities. This research provides data and insights to support decision making on key issues in criminal justice reform. This project has three research aims. First, the study explores how historical regimes affect the building of prison facilities between 1970 and 2010. Second, the project investigates the political economy of places where new prison facilities are built, including the presence of manufacturing and poverty rates. Third, the study investigates the impact of the prison booms and busts on employment, poverty, economic inequality, and health disparities. Determinants of prison building are tested using rare event logistic regression. The project trains young researchers from groups underrepresented in STEM. The findings inform efforts to support rural communities that are affected by the building and closing of prisons. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.