This article focuses on correctional facilities' impact on public safety, quality of life, and politics in the surrounding community. The facilities studied included one Federal prison, four State prisons, and two county jails. Regarding public safety, the study surveyed local and State law enforcement officials in the seven communities to determine how inmate escapes and subsequent recapture efforts have affected public safety in the communities. Findings indicate escapes have not posed a significant threat to the personal safety of residents near the facilities. To determine a facility's impact on quality of life in the surrounding community, a telephone survey of residents living near a correctional facility in southern Dade County was conducted. Seventy-eight percent of the residents surveyed felt that the quality of the neighborhood improved or remained the same despite the presence of a facility. Regarding political factors, the study suggests that efforts be made to build and maintain public trust well before facility siting is considered. The success of siting efforts could be enhanced through a study of how previous opposition to facility siting has been handled and how it might be improved through public information and public relations efforts. 14 references