U.S. Department of Justice Withdraws Funding Request for Kentucky Prison
By Rachel Pressley
In April 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice withdrew their funding request for a $444 million prison on a former mountaintop removal coal mining site in Roxana, Ky.
The DOJ cited a declining prison population over the past few years and asked that the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a subdivision of the DOJ, expand capacity at existing facilities instead.
In President Trump’s proposed budget, the Bureau of Prisons would direct $80 million toward retrofitting and expanding the capacity of a federal prison in western Illinois to move prisoners there instead of constructing the new facility in Letcher County, Ky.
Among the concerns expressed by opponents of the Roxana proposal was the prison’s potential impact on Lilly Cornett Woods, an old-growth forest located one mile from the proposed site.
“Not a lot of people get to say that they have an old-growth forest a few miles from where they live,” said Tarence Ray, a resident involved with the Letcher Governance Project and a former Appalachian Voices employee. “It’s not something that we want to endanger. Road traffic noise, air pollution, light pollution and water pollution will have major impacts on that ecosystem.”
The Prison Ecology Project, an organization that argues against the prison industry’s history of water pollution and ecological degradation, and the Letcher Governance Project, a group of local residents that are rejecting the prison as a form of economic development, have been working with others across the country to fight against mass incarceration and the prison industry.
Rep. Hal Rogers, who represents the area in the U.S. House, claims that the prison would be helpful with employment since local residents are dealing with a lack of coal jobs.
“It’s hard to be excited about the DOJ’s decision because it’s not a win, yet,” said Ray. “We’re still incarcerating more people in this country than any other country, and we can’t get Hal Rogers, our own U.S. representative, to listen. There is still potential for him to fight this in Congress.”
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
Signs of Life
In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
After 20 Years, Letcher County Prison Proposal Is Still Alive, Though Obstacles Remain
A $605 million proposal for a federal prison on a former strip mine site in Letcher County, Kentucky, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, refuses to die, despite local opposition, a lack of support from the executive branch and numerous other obstacles.
The Washout and Rebuild
For nearly two years, residents of Unicoi County, Tennessee, have had to make do without a hospital after Hurricane Helene destroyed the rural hospital. Ballad Health, which owns the hospital, broke ground on a new location — in another floodplain — in August 2026.
The Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is a woodland salamander, which has adapted to life at higher elevations away from water. This sparkling rarity lives among the dry leaves, cracked logs, and stony hillocks on the highest peaks of Shenandoah National Park.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment