Prison Builder’s Dilemma: Economics And Ethics Clash in Eastern Ky.

WEKU

Published August 1, 2016 at 6:30 AM EDT

With the mining industry in sharp decline, some coalfield counties are hoping new prisons can generate jobs. Eastern Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District is already home to three federal penitentiaries and could soon see construction of a fourth in Letcher County.

As Benny Becker reports, the proposal has sparked sharp debate over the economics and ethics of prisons.

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