As the number of inmates declines across the United States, the transformation of former prison facilities into residential spaces is increasing. The New York Times (NYT) reported that approximately 200 correctional facilities have closed in the U.S. over the past 20 years, and there is a trend of outdated prisons being redeveloped into residential and commercial spaces.
NYT highlighted 'Liberty Crest Apartments' in Fairfax County, Virginia, as a representative case. This location was formerly the Lorton prison. Built in 1910, the Lorton prison housed American women's suffragists and was closed in 2001. In 2002, Fairfax County purchased the 2,400-acre prison site for $4.2 million, transforming it into a residential community. The development includes 165 apartments, 157 townhouses, and 24 single-family homes, currently achieving a rental rate of 98%. Diamond Pearson, 32, who resides there, noted, "I discovered during the contracting process that this place used to be the Lorton prison. In the beginning, I was uneasy about it being a prison, but now I've grown attached to it."
Across the United States, prison redevelopment projects are proliferating. From 1970 to 2000, approximately 1,000 prisons were established, leading to rapid growth in the 'incarceration industry,' but since 2010, the decrease in the inmate population has led to closures of facilities. In New York State, the number of inmates has dropped by more than 50% since 1999, resulting in 26 correctional facilities closing over the past 13 years. Accordingly, the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility in Warwick, New York, has transformed into a business campus and sports park, while the Lincoln Correctional Facility in Manhattan is being developed into a housing complex for low-income residents. Additionally, in the Hudson Valley region of Fishkill, the real estate developer Conifer Realty plans to redevelop the 100-acre Downstate Correctional Facility into a mixed-use development.
However, not all prisons are smoothly redeveloped. Facilities located in major cities have higher utilization potential, but many prisons in remote areas find it challenging to identify new uses. In Utah, a project named 'The Point' aims to convert the 600-acre Utah State Prison site into residential and research spaces, but construction is expected to take at least 15 years to complete. In Thomaston, Maine, a lack of consensus among residents regarding the development of a prison site closed 20 years ago has left it still abandoned.
Nonetheless, state governments continue to make efforts to utilize closed prisons. New York launched a prison redevelopment commission in 2022 to explore ways to utilize closed sites, while Utah is also pursuing large-scale residential and commercial development. The space that was abandoned as prisons closed is transforming to create new residential and economic value.