Building Community
Not Prisons

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The No New Letcher Prison Campaign is a non-partisan national effort of the Building Community Not Prisons coalition to stop the construction of a new federal prison in Letcher County, Kentucky.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is currently undergoing the National Environmental Policy Act regulatory evaluation process for the USP Letcher Prison Proposal. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released on March 1st. Over 2000 public and technical comments were mobilized by BCNP and allies in opposition to the prison before the public comment period closed on April 15th. In addition, BCNP and allies from both local and sending communities attended the BOP Public Meeting in Letcher County on March 28th to have their opposition to the proposal heard. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released on July 12th with the public comment period closing on August 12th. This comment was submitted on behalf of the Concerned Letcher Countians (“CLC”), Voice of the Experienced (“VOTE”), Kentucky Resources Council, Inc. (“KRC”), Dream.org, the Institute to End Mass Incarceration (“IEMI”), and Abolitionist Law Center (“ALC”) concerning the FEIS. After reviewing public comments, the BOP will release a Record of Decision on the proposal. If approved, the BOP will commence acquisition of land and forming contracts for clearance and construction.

Read Our Comment on the FEIS

Our Goal

Our goal is to stop the construction of the proposed USP Letcher and ensure that the earmarked $505 million dollars is instead invested in Letcher County and other communities heavily impacted by incarceration.

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Why We’re Taking Action

Both the Trump and Biden Administrations have concluded that the construction of this prison is not necessary because the federal prison population is declining. Both Administrations have proposed withdrawing the funding for FCI Letcher.
The prison would be constructed on top of a former strip coal mine putting at risk the health of those incarcerated, their family members who visit, as well as correctional staff.
There is no existing infrastructure, like sewerage, water, and electricity, in the location of the proposed prison. This creates extra costs for the construction of the prison while the infrastructure of Eastern Kentucky has yet to be fully repaired after the devastating historic floods of 2022.
Construction at the existing site would destroy nearby wetlands, threaten endangered species, as well as cause adverse environmental degradation at Lilley Cornett Woods, the largest stretch of old growth forest in Kentucky.
There are no public transportation, bus or train routes to the proposed site in the small community of Roxana, KY. The closest airport is several hours away. This remote location would make it extremely expensive and nearly impossible for family members without personal transportation to visit their loved ones incarcerated at this prison.
The BOP itself acknowledges that this project will bring “negligible benefits” for employment and income to the region.
Individuals and organizations that oppose the construction of this prison come from Letcher County, the broader Appalachian region, and across the country.