Mass incarceration as a climate justice issue.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Criminology

Background:

• Climate change is a global crisis with significant public health implications.
• Mass incarceration disproportionately exposes incarcerated individuals to climate-related hazards.
• Existing carceral infrastructure and policies exacerbate these climate-related health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the heightened risk incarcerated populations face from climate-related events.
• To analyze how climate change worsens health outcomes for incarcerated individuals.
• To examine the role of carceral infrastructure and policies in amplifying these impacts.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on climate change and incarceration.
• Analysis of health risks associated with extreme heat, hurricanes, and wildfires in carceral settings.
• Examination of carceral policies and infrastructure in relation to climate impacts.

Main Results:

• Incarcerated populations face a heightened risk of experiencing multiple climate-related events.
• Climate change exacerbates pre-existing health vulnerabilities within carceral facilities.
• Carceral infrastructure and policies significantly worsen the health impacts of climate change on incarcerated individuals.

Conclusions:

• Urgent need for further research to quantify the full scope of climate-related health risks in carceral settings.
• Essential to foster strong collaborations among researchers, policymakers, and community advocates.
• Implementation of evidence-based policies for climate mitigation, adaptation, and decarceration is crucial to protect incarcerated populations.