Eastern Kentucky tries to replace coal with jails

[DINGO Joe]

https://www.vera.org/in-our-backyards-stories/keeping-the-lights-on

Putting prisons is depressed and out of the way places has been nothing new for some time now and thanks to Hal Rogers and Robert Byrd the mountains are teeming with federal prisons.  Also in Kentucky and SW VA state prisons have been welcomed at a level wildly disproportionate to their share of the state's population.

What's interesting about this article is how, because of circumstances unique to Kentucky (a large percentage of state prisoners are housed in county jails) many coal counties are expanding or building new facilities to try to take advantage of the state's "largess" to county jails.  Aside from making East KY into more of a penal colony than it already is, it puts the county's financial skin in the game.  If Kentucky decides it can't afford all these prisoners and jumps on the sentencing reform bandwagon and/or if too many counties expand their jails trying to get on the gravy train, the county and their taxpayers are on the hook for a suddenly uneconomic building. 

Just another step down in the region's long descent.

Also, the same website has a semi-related story about how a couple of rural Florida counties utilized USDA Community grants to build a couple of prisons on spec hoping to get US immigration inmates and how it didn't work out as planned.

https://www.vera.org/in-our-backyards-stories/farm-aid-for-the-big-house

[pbrower2a]

Why not dedicate eastern Kentucky to nursing homes? Costs would be far lower for inmates, their families, and state governments. People generally do not visit their elderly relatives who have gone senile. Those who do visit would pump a little needed money into the Kentucky economy. Figure that lots of former coal miners could be easily retrained to be orderlies or as 'muscle nurses'.   

[Mr. Smith]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

[darklordoftech]

"Ever hear the tragedy of Darth Kentucky the Coal Mining State?"

[Progressive Pessimist]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

Seriously, investing in newer industries like this and clean energy would be much more viable and ethical.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

Seriously, investing in newer industries like this and clean energy would be much more viable and ethical.

What clean energy is remotely profitable in eastern Kentucky?  It’s one of the cloudier, calmer locales in the US and doesn’t have geothermal potential.  I know it’s a catchall solution for Democrats to throw out there and feel good about without having to think...but think about it.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

Seriously, investing in newer industries like this and clean energy would be much more viable and ethical.

What clean energy is remotely profitable in eastern Kentucky?  It’s one of the cloudier, calmer locales in the US and doesn’t have geothermal potential.  I know it’s a catchall solution for Democrats to throw out there and feel good about without having to think...but think about it.

I meant more in terms of the manufacturing of solar panels and whatnot.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

Seriously, investing in newer industries like this and clean energy would be much more viable and ethical.

What clean energy is remotely profitable in eastern Kentucky?  It’s one of the cloudier, calmer locales in the US and doesn’t have geothermal potential.  I know it’s a catchall solution for Democrats to throw out there and feel good about without having to think...but think about it.

I meant more in terms of the manufacturing of solar panels and whatnot.

Manufacturing in an area that mountainous is still incredibly difficult. Both in transporting raw materials in and transporting end-product out (think about trying to drive a truck full of solar panels down a mountain).

That said, there are a few places in WV and WPA with wind turbines. Obviously they aren't implemented statewide and there are several possible reasons for it. Also obviously wind power wouldn't be enough to transform the entire state economy, but I wouldn't quite dismiss it out of hand like snowguy.

Why not dedicate eastern Kentucky to nursing homes? Costs would be far lower for inmates, their families, and state governments. People generally do not visit their elderly relatives who have gone senile. Those who do visit would pump a little needed money into the Kentucky economy. Figure that lots of former coal miners could be easily retrained to be orderlies or as 'muscle nurses'.   

The obvious problem with this is it's incredibly difficult to get males to take caregiver positions. I also kinda doubt that people would be excited to send their elderly relatives to an area with one of the worst health care infrastructures in the country, although, maybe that would make the services cheap and therefore attractive to lots of consumers (lmao @ capitalism)

[DINGO Joe]

Should consider hemp farms if anything.

Seriously, investing in newer industries like this and clean energy would be much more viable and ethical.

What clean energy is remotely profitable in eastern Kentucky?  It’s one of the cloudier, calmer locales in the US and doesn’t have geothermal potential.  I know it’s a catchall solution for Democrats to throw out there and feel good about without having to think...but think about it.

https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Solar-Panel-Farm-project-aims-to-put-coal-miners-back-to-work-507274021.html

When you blow up them mountaintops, the trees don't grow right no more, so solar.  Really.  But, it really won't provide many jobs.

[Sestak]

Wut.

[pbrower2a]

Hydroelectric power? This is the cheapest of all energy, and probably the safest  -- once the initial construction is done. The reservoirs behind the dams will afford excellent opportunities for recreational use that will draw people from a couple hundred miles around. Think of all the new lakefront property in a scenic area. As in Michigan, people will erect expensive houses that will provide a better tax base for people stuck there. There will be more opportunities for starting businesses to supply lake residents  with everything from wine (not the local beverage of choice) to boat fuel. There will be opportunities for new small businesses as in restaurants other than fast-food eateries and in retailers other than Wally World and dollar stores.

[junior chįmp]

Give them jobs answering constituents letters in McConnell's office....and by answering them, I mean running them through the paper shredded

[DINGO Joe]

Hydroelectric power? This is the cheapest of all energy, and probably the safest  -- once the initial construction is done. The reservoirs behind the dams will afford excellent opportunities for recreational use that will draw people from a couple hundred miles around. Think of all the new lakefront property in a scenic area. As in Michigan, people will erect expensive houses that will provide a better tax base for people stuck there. There will be more opportunities for starting businesses to supply lake residents  with everything from wine (not the local beverage of choice) to boat fuel. There will be opportunities for new small businesses as in restaurants other than fast-food eateries and in retailers other than Wally World and dollar stores.

The idea has actually been "floated" in southern WV and it could be argued that the nicest parts of Appalachia are the ones that have been flooded (though Western NC is perfectly nice without being flooded) and it probably would provide some compensation to the few remaining souls that have no means to get out.  Still, it's been quite some time since lake building was in vogue.