Abstract
In 2017, Western State Penitentiary—the state’s colossal stone prison on the banks of the Ohio River—closed afer more than 130 years of use. It had shut down before, in 2005, only to reopen two years later in response to the state’s growing population of inmates. This time, the closure is final, and the state will soon begin the process of selling the property. Whether the facility will be repurposed, redeveloped, demolished, or some combination remains to be seen.
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