Author: Emma Kelly

Wallens Ridge State Prison can be seen from miles away, nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia. Photo: Courtesy of Dirk Wiley
Wallens Ridge State Prison can be seen from miles away, nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia. Photo: Courtesy of Dirk Wiley

Commentary: The Far-Reaching Effects of the Carceral State on Appalachian Communities

In 2019, local activists succeeded in stopping the construction of a new federal prison in Letcher County, Kentucky.  The prison was on track to be the most expensive federal prison ever constructed, with $510 million in allocated funding. The project had a powerful advocate in Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers, who […]

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