Have You Seen My Backyard? Rural Ecology, Disrepute, and Prison Placement
Have You Seen My Backyard? Rural Ecology, Disrepute, and Prison Placement
In this chapter, the Please in My Backyard (PIMBY) question posed in the opening chapter is reframed by asking, “Have you seen my backyard?” This chapter explores the potential motivations behind prison placement in rural communities by focusing on the role of stigma in defining a town’s identity. In underscoring events that affected Forrest City’s reputation, including the rape trial of Wayne Dumond, the curious case of Sheriff Conlee, and a manufacturing worker’s strike where racists signs were prominently displayed, we can see how stigma builds in rural communities. Each of these infamous cases in Forrest City made national headlines news often casting the town in prominent, and unflattering light. These events, along with several other community changes, serve the impetus for the Forrest City leadership to seek a prison.
Keywords: NIMBY, stigma, Wayne Dumond, Sheriff Conlee
Chicago Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.