How will the correctional center affect safety in local communities?
An information brief produced by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, Issues in Siting Correctional Facilities, provided an overview of a study conducted by the Government Center of the Florida International University on the impact of the siting a correctional center on crime rates in a locale. That study found that either (1) there was no significant difference between the crime rates for the target area, the area where the correctional center was built, and the control area, or (2) the crime rate was lower than in the control area. In other words, there was either no effect or the crime rate dropped around the correctional center. Law enforcement officials surveyed for the study reported that the correctional facilities did not contribute to the community crime rates. While the officials were aware of a small number of prisoner visitors having committed offenses in the facilities involving the introduction of contraband, not one was aware of a crime hav
