Source: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (CA) Contact: http://sanluisobispo.com/ Copyright: 1998 San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune Pubdate: 19 Oct 1998 Author: Jamie Hurly, Telegram-Tribune FOLSOM CIVIC LEADERS LOVE TO SING THOSE 'PRISON BLUES' SLO COUNTY -- Twenty years ago you couldn't talk a town into having a prison. But a lot has changed in those two decades, said David Sechrest, a criminal justice professor at CSU San Bernardino. Opposition declined as communities began to see prisons as a way to diversify their economies and attract industry, he said. Many towns have actively recruited prison construction. Atascadero City Manager Wade McKinney was city manager in the Kern County community of Shafter when a 464-bed prison opened in 1991. "The city earned certain profits for operating the facility," McKinney said. At the time it originally opened, it was equal to the whole city's sales tax. It was quite a boost." That boost was worth about $350,000 a year. The city's goal, however, was to kick-start an industrial sector to complement the community's strong agricultural background. It hasn't hurt business. Elk Roofing, which employs about 120 people opened a few years later. One of Shafter Community Correctional Facility's next-door neighbors is Insect Lore. The company continued to grow after the prison opened and now employs about 25 people full time. It markets science kits and related goods worldwide. It also operates The Butterfly Celebration, which provides boxed butterflies to be released at weddings and other events. John White, Insect Lore's marketing director, considers the prison a "great neighbor." Its presence also provide a sense of safety, he said. Ann Gutcher, manager of the Kern County Board of Trade, said Shafter is one of several Kern communities to use new prisons to create a diversified economy. The prisons haven't affected tourism, she said. "They don't even know they're here." At least one prison in California has actually been a plus for the tourist trade. Folsom State Prison is known across the country thanks to Johnny Cash's song "Folsom Prison Blues." Its architecture and thick rock walls also attract visitors. Tourists who come to see the city's Old Town or attend craft and street fairs often ask for directions to the prison, which is popular enough to have a museum and gift shop, according to Beverly Frazier, the Folsom Visitors Center coordinator. All together there are three prisons in Folsom with about 2,200 sworn officers or guards, according to Joe Gagliardi, the city's director of economic development. He said that's one of the reasons the city has been able to brag about having the lowest crime rate in the state. About 200 employees work at the city-operated community correctional facility, which opened next to the state prisons about five years ago, he said. The prisons help round out a work force that includes 5,000 Intel employees and 2,000 employees of Aerojet, an aerospace company. The city's demographics are "extremely high," Gagliardi said. Most households have two incomes, with the median income $50,000 to $60,000. Home prices average more than $200,000 -- with the majority in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, he said. On the downside, Gagliardi said the city-operated facility pays less than the state-operated prisons. "But I think the benefits of ours outweigh the negatives." - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski