Based on the results of our qualitative study, we saw a mix of varied conflicting opinions regarding the Mega Jail being built at Chinatown, Manhattan. By examining the data, we were able to identify patterns between participants and their responses.

Interviewees who are deeply rooted in the community like long-time business owners, kids who are generationally tied to the neighborhood, and elderly patrol groups opposed the plan to build the Mega Jail. They believed that the construction of this institution would erode Chinatown’s cultural history. Moreover, many of these participants were not so convinced that the improved jail would successfully address the city’s broken incarceration system.

Interviewees who are newer and culturally distant from the community like non-Chinese public defenders and newly established business owners generally are in favor of the plan to construct the Mega Jail. They essentially argued that the proposal would be great step in reforming the jail system after the closing of Riker’s Island and that it would stimulate more business.

Going back to our research question, “To what extent do government projects, like the Mega Jail in Chinatown, affect local communities?“, we can answer this by ….