Total Extraction: Exploitative Behaviors of the Carceral Apparatus Towards Carceral Officers in Central Appalachia

Abstract

The era of mass incarceration has had a profound impact on rural areas, such as the Central Appalachian region in the United States. Since 1989, twenty-nine new prisons have been built in the region (Perdue and Sanchagrin 2016). The justifications put forth for prison-building have focused predominantly on economic development and job creation, as deindustrialization continues to affect residents. Research has found that prison-building as a means for economic development in rural areas is a myth, however—one that obscures the real reason for carceral expansion. This article explores the nature of prison-building and the resulting exploitation of individuals working in these carceral institutions in Central Appalachia. We argue that prison-building is a mechanism of economic and social control within the region, and we focus our analysis on the poor working conditions, impoverished pay, and the general toxicity of the land on which these prisons are situated. Our article is not, however, a call for improved working conditions in the prisons. Instead, we weave together literature on the exploitation of carceral officers, the community, and the incarcerated to explore avenues of abolitionist solidarity between all people harmed by the carceral state.