Prisons and their perceived impact on the local community: A case study

This paper examines some of the central concerns expressed by residents over the presence of penal institutions within their community, and looks at some of the factors which may influence the type and intensity of those concerns. Using existing survey data collected in the lower Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada, four generic factors of perceived impact are identified: concern for family safety; concern for general quality of life; concern for value of neighbourhood, and concern for neigh-bourhood instability. Three hypotheses are then examined, relating these four concerns to the respondents' history of victimization, physical proximity to the institutions, and current position in family life cycle.