Inadequate Safeguards: The Inability of Prisons to Shield Inmates from Climate Catastrophes

Research from the University of Colorado Boulder, based on testimonies from nearly thirty individuals previously incarcerated, outlines a troubling narrative indicating that these facilities fail to offer adequate safeguards against increasing environmental dangers associated with climate change. Reports indicate that insufficient policies and outdated infrastructure greatly heighten the risks faced by incarcerated individuals, exposing them to severe heat and smoke from wildfires.

The study, published on October 13 in the journal Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, underscores these issues.

“There are numerous distressing testimonies demonstrating that the system is rigid and incapable of adapting effectively,” said Ben Barron, the paper’s primary author and a former doctoral student in Geography. “As climate-related hazards become more prevalent and severe, flexible responses are the only means of protecting these individuals when their ability to act is significantly constrained.”

This research follows reports of prisons in Florida and North Carolina that failed to evacuate inmates during hurricanes Helene and Milton, leaving them without power or running water for days amidst sewage overflow.

Rising climate dangers

Research indicates that climate change is expected to heighten the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. In Colorado, this entails an increased likelihood of intense heat waves, winter storms, flooding, and deteriorating air quality due to wildfires.

Barron and a multidisciplinary team delved into how correctional facilities are coping with these growing climate challenges, an aspect that has garnered little attention in academic studies.

“As an engineer, I find it alarming how minimal focus is placed on these social injustices in our education and training,” explained co-author Shideh Dashti, an associate professor in Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. “The emphasis is predominantly on the structure’s strength and stability, often neglecting the health and safety of incarcerated individuals.”

Earlier research indicated that approximately 75% of Colorado’s jails and prisons—housing more than 80% of the state’s incarcerated population—are exposed to at least one natural disaster within the coming year, with about half facing the threat of extreme heat.

To examine how these facilities prepare for disasters, the research team first contacted various carceral facilities but received no responses. Consequently, they spoke directly with those who have experienced climate impacts during their incarceration.

Barron interviewed 35 formerly incarcerated individuals from 23 prisons and 15 jails in Colorado. They found that over 60% of participants had directly faced at least one of the four prominent climate hazards in Colorado—extreme heat, intense cold, wildfires, and floods. All individuals reported discomfort due to extreme temperatures, poor air quality, or water-related issues such as broken pipes and sewage backups.

“It’s crucial to share these individuals’ voices and experiences, especially when the system attempts to suppress these narratives,” Barron stated. The researchers noted instances where facilities tried to obscure conditions by providing false data, like inaccurate indoor temperature readings.

Inadequate infrastructure

Summer 2024 marked the hottest season recorded in the Northern Hemisphere and the second hottest in Denver. Yet, many jails and prisons lack functional air conditioning or fail to use it effectively.

Interview subjects highlighted that some facilities activate air conditioning based on an arbitrary date unrelated to actual weather conditions, leaving inmates to endure extreme temperatures for weeks.

“Such prolonged discomfort feels like a minimal form of torture,” recounted one individual who spent 34 years incarcerated.

Over a third of the interviewees experienced wildfires during their incarceration. They recounted how smoke infiltrated through cracked windows and ineffective ventilation systems, causing burning sensations in their eyes and nose, and leaving them to breathe in soot and ash for extended periods.

To date, Colorado has evacuated only one prison due to wildfires. In 2013, the Royal Gorge fire compelled the evacuation of 900 inmates from a southern Colorado facility to another facility, a process described by evacuees as poorly organized.

“These structures are meant to keep people contained, not ensure their safe evacuation,” asserted Barron, noting the team’s inability to ascertain whether the facilities had effective evacuation protocols in place.

These findings reflect wider systemic issues across the country.

In North Carolina, following heavy rains from Hurricane Helene, inmates in various facilities reported living without power or clean water for days, with some sleeping in rooms where toilets overflowed with waste. Similarly, many jails and prisons in Florida ignored mandatory evacuation orders before Hurricane Milton.

“It’s shocking that in the U.S., someone can be penalized for leaving a dog behind during a flood, yet no accountability exists for keeping humans locked in cells while waters rise,” remarked co-author Phaedra Pezzullo, a professor in Communication.

A challenging struggle

Some participants from the study expressed concerns about facing retaliation for filing complaints regarding their living conditions.

Many devised their own coping strategies; some deliberately flooded their cells to cool off, while others utilized cardboard and plastic to seal cracks in windows and keep out wildfire smoke.

The team hopes to encourage further research on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and prevention that amplifies these unheard voices.

Researchers mentioned that while some state legislators are already attempting to enhance conditions within incarceration facilities, progress frequently encounters obstacles, largely due to varying perspectives on punitive measures.

“Even if there’s a consensus on the necessity of confinement as a response to crime, the law does not justify exposing individuals to hazardous air quality, extreme temperatures, or the risk of enduring sewage conditions for extended periods,” Barron stated. “Such treatment is far beyond reasonable and proportionate punishment.”