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Abstract: 

In order for residential reentry centers and other community correctional programs to provide services to offenders and promote public safety, private and public agencies must have a fair opportunity to site such programs within communities. Recent history suggests, however, that automatic neighborhood opposition, media involvement, political interference, land use regulations, and zoning practices in many communities have made the process to site such facilities protracted, litigious, expensive, and in some jurisdictions, nearly impossible. ICCA’s policy position on siting community corrections facilities outlines a set of principles and makes recommendations that should improve the chances of getting communities to make positive decisions about accepting community corrections facilities in their neighborhoods. The policy notes that in many communities, it is difficult for public and private agencies to secure agreement from local governments and community groups to open community corrections facilities. Controversially, the policy suggests that local jurisdictions should allow the opportunity to site programs in proportion to the number of their citizens who are convicted of crime in that jurisdiction. The Policy Position Statement was reviewed and adopted by the ICCA Board of Directors on January 6, 2010.

Keywords: Facility siting; community relations

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