CHARLESTON WOULD BE GOOD CHOICE FOR STATE PRISON

A prison is more than bricks and mortar. It can be a shot of economic development for a struggling community. That's why the news that Charleston is among the four prison site finalists is so welcomed.

The city is sorely in need of a new industry. One of the last shoe factories to close in Missouri was in Charleston. The town has a few industries but nothing that compares with the annual prison payroll of $9.1 million.

It is disappointing that Kennett and Malden didn't make the cut. Even though the state plans to build two prisons, it is unlikely both would be constructed in the same region. Other finalists include Licking in the south-central part of the state, Lewistown in the far northeast and Trenton, a few miles south of the Iowa border.

The prison would infuse millions of dollars in the local economy, starting with $73 million to construct the 1,500-bed facility.

It is stable employment. The 365 new jobs won't be threatened by fashion trends or cheaper labor halfway around the globe. And Missouri's prison population shows no sign of tapering off.

Charleston's unemployment rate of 9.9 percent is just about double the state and national averages. The number of unemployed is high considering the town's population is 5,000.

Charleston has put together a good package: 120 acres of free land situated near the intersection of Interstate 57 and Highway 105. The city has also offered free sewer, water, natural gas and electric hook-ups.

Another trump card in Charleston's corner is Betty Hearnes. As a former veteran state representative who once chaired the Joint Committee on Corrections, Hearnes made a convincing case before the Legislature's Join Committee on Corrections. Her husband, former Gov. Warren Hearnes, backed his wife in the pitch for the prison.

The final decision rests with Gov. Mel Carnahan.

The fact that no state prisons are located in the Bootheel should be another key consideration. The state operates 19 correctional institutions, and the farthest south to date is Farmington. That leaves a big region of the state without a state prison.

Charleston is a good choice for a state prison. The economic benefits would aid not only the town, but the entire Southeast Missouri region.