The profound impact of climate on the incarcerated

In the ever-present face of global warming, communities across the nation struggle to carry the various burdens which accompany climate change. For the incarcerated, however, the impacts of environmental dangers remain disproportionately large – from ill-equipped infrastructure to contaminated water supplies, challenging environmental factors continuously force inmates to endure undignified living conditions. 

Climate change has propelled the proliferation of wildfires, placing dry climates such as California’s at higher risk of environmental disaster. In spite of the evident threat of fires, however, innumerable prisons in high-risk areas remain unprepared to responsibly handle emergency situations. A research study from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights found that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) evacuation plans do not appear comprehensive enough to meet the safety needs of inmates, and also noted that 80% of survey respondents reported that they never participated in an evacuation drill. 

Through a comprehensive research process, the Ella Baker Center found a number of other concerning factors which afflict the incarcerated. For instance, a lack of reliable air conditioning and poor ventilation remains a consistent trend among prisons with aged infrastructure. These buildings, which are often overcrowded, thereby fail to responsibly regulate temperatures and subject inmates to poor air quality. As a result, inmates then face a heightened chance of heat-related ailments and respiratory issues.

Air conditioning and ventilation, however, are merely two of the countless dilemmas which pose a severe detriment to safe prison conditions. The myriad of environmental safety issues include unreliable power generators, lack of increased access to showers during extreme heat, minimal shade coverings in prison yards, and more. 

Ultimately, the vast array of factors which endanger inmates demonstrate a lack of humane conditions within the incarceration system. Subjecting prison inmates to inhumane living environments creates destructive consequences for both the incarcerated and nonincarcerated communities – these living conditions can damage long-term physical and psychological well-being, thereby creating additional difficulties for inmates as they attempt to acculturate to society upon prison release. Numerous studies indicate that, when inmates face extreme physical and mental stressors within prisons, their odds of future criminality increase. Thus, creating healthier environments within the incarceration system serves to develop safer communities for all citizens – incarcerated or not. 

The Climate Justice in Prisons Emergency Response Act (CA AB 1424) offers a promising solution to the issue of climate control within prisons. The bill, supported by Beauty Beyond Bars, aims to improve working conditions, repair faulty infrastructure, develop reliable emergency response plans, and ensure appropriate management of heat-related illnesses within prisons.

The approval and implementation of CA AB 1424 remains a crucial step in achieving a safer, healthier society through criminal justice reform. CA AB 1424, and other similar bills, exemplify the vital role of legislation in restoring dignity behind bars.