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<br />3. Impacts of Jails on Communities <br /> <br />A large body of research literature has been produced regarding the impact of correctional facilities on <br />communities, although much of the research has focused on rural communities and larger-scale prisons for <br />the long-term incarceration of inmates.II Redwood City does not wish to present in this report <br />comprehensive findings regarding the positive and negative impacts cited in the literature. The City's <br />review of published materials has found that conclusions regarding impacts on crime and public safety, <br />property values, local economic conditions, and quality of life vary based on, among other factors, location <br />and the localized economy. One paper that provides a review of research on prison impacts notes: "There <br />are still gaps in our knowledge of prison impacts. Existing studies are neither numerous or complete <br />enough to enable us to take into account or even identify all factors influencing prison effects and their <br />direction.,,12 While many studies conclude that contrary to public perception, jails do not have adverse <br />impacts on surrounding uses, the City wishes to point out that much of the research fails to assess impact <br />on community image, does not address relationships of jail siting decisions to a community's long-range <br />vision and goals, and does not consider the effects of concentrating jails and other public uses within a <br />focused area, and thriving downtowns in particular. <br /> <br />11 For a broad overview, for example, see Literature Review of Impacts to Communities in Siting Correctional Facilities, Washington <br />Council on Crime and Delinquency, July 1995. <br />12 "Prison Impacts: A Review of the Research./J Katherine A. Carlson, Ph.D. November 1990. <br /> <br />Site I nformation for Alternative Locations for the Proposed Replacement Jail <br />September 2, 2009 <br /> <br />9 <br />