Prisons don't benefit anyone

The false claims that are made to justify more prison construction – prisons make us safer, prison keep violent criminals off the street – are mirrored by false promises made to California's many prison towns. “Prison towns” - the places where prisons are built - are usually struggling rural towns, which are promised jobs and economic development as a result of the new industry in their town.

CPMP's work is guided by a few, simple ideas: no one really wants new prisons, and prisons don't benefit anyone. People want jobs, more money to improve road conditions, decent schools to send their kids to, just like people want to feel safe in their homes. And often times, prisons seem to be the one form of development that can provide these things. Wanting jobs and a decent quality of life is separate from wanting a prison, and in reality, a prison actually harms the potential for achieving these other things.

The business of locking people up isn’t profitable for those who live inside or next to the prison. Instead, small towns have seen have watched precious city dollars go down the drain developing roads and services for the new, massive infrastructure needs of a prison facility. High unemployment rates, promised to be alleviated by new prison jobs, often actually rise after prison construction – most prison jobs require certain educational levels that cut out many rural residents, or are simply set aside for current prison employees. Prisons make other forms of development hard to attract. They are environmentally 'dirty' industries, polluting the air, water and land.

CPMP has seen these realities play out time and time again in small towns throughout California's Central Valley. These experiences have formed the beliefs that guide our work:

Prisons don't benefit anyone

Building prisons wastes money that could be used on things that actually make us safe

Prisons are not about safety