This edition: What Happens After a Prison Shuts Down?
Episode Details
Original tape date: October 25, 2025. First aired: May 15, 2026.What happens to a small town when a prison shuts down? The Augusta Correctional Center employed many residents and brought business to Craigsville, Virginia, a two square-mile, 900-person town located in the Shenandoah Valley. But when the prison closed with minimal warning and no time for planning, Craigsville residents and the town’s economy were hit hard. In this report, special correspondents Chelsea Higgs Wise and Lewis Raven Wallace head to Craigsville to learn about how the town is struggling, and to explore possible solutions and larger questions around our country’s prison industrial complex. How can small, rural communities be supported in a sustainable transition away from a carceral economy?
Guest List
Sincere Allah State Organizer, REFORM Alliance
Margaret Breslau Co-Founder, Virginia Prison Justice Network
Pam L. Carter Augusta County Board of Supervisors, Craigsville, Virginia
Richard L. Fox Mayor, Craigsville, Virginia
Tracy Martin Fire Chief, Volunteer Fire Department, Craigsville Virginia
Catherine Moyers-Youell Retired Teacher, Craigsville, Virginia
Fred Sprouse Superintendent of Maintenance, Craigsville, Virginia
Sandy Oscar Sprouse Owner, Grandma’s Busy Bees
David Swink Cattle & Hay Farmer, Craigsville, Virginia
Lewis Raven Wallace (Correspondent) Journalist & Activist, Durham, North Carolina
Claudette Wilcher Pastor Bells Valley Worship Center, Craigsville, Virginia
Chelsea Higgs Wise Wise (Correspondent) Journalist & Policy Advocate, Richmond, Virginia
Bill Youell Retired Chemical Engineer, Craigsville, Virginia
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