New ICE detention center is drawing concern and conversations in a nearby town
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The Department of Homeland Security has secured a five-year contract to turn a once closed prison in Appleton into a detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Prairie Correctional Facility opened in 1992 and closed in 2010. It was a massive economic driver for the town and has since left financial hole.
CoreCivic, a company that operates detention facilities around the nation, said the new center will bring in millions.
Kris Shelstad a longtime resident and business owner of Madison Mercantile, 20 miles outside Appleton. She remembers when the prison first opened and said everyone from educators to law enforcement came through her shop.
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“We we often work and live in each other's communities,” Shelstad said.
She said many in the town have mixed memories about the “glory days.”
“The prison did provide a lot of economic development, but it also brought strains on local social services.”
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player above.
