A hurricane is incredibly frightening and dangerous for those in its path, as we have been made all too aware of with the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. However, they are especially frightening and dangerous when trapped in a prison cell, entirely reliant on guards and prison officials to allow evacuation to safety - an evacuation that may never come. Earlier this month in Pinellas and Manatee counties in Florida, more than 4,000 individuals were put in immense danger as jails located in mandatory evacuation zones were left fully occupied (Weill-Greenberg et al., 2024).
In typical times, the restrictive design of prisons is intended to promote safety for both those incarcerated and the public at large. Unfortunately, it has the unintended effect of making natural disasters and extreme weather exceedingly dangerous for those inside, as they are unable to freely move to safety or take steps to protect themselves. With the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, coupled with widespread understaffing and overcrowding in correctional facilities, significant changes need to be made to ensure the safety of incarcerated people during such events.
The danger posed here is not just hypothetical: an average of 14 deaths per year have been attributed to the extreme heat in Texas prisons (Skarha et. al, 2022). Following Hurricane Katrina, many were trapped in flooded prison cells for up to three days with no electricity or working toilets (Associated Press, 2006). Wildfire smoke chokes the air in poorly-ventilated prisons, posing a distinct threat to those with breathing-related health issues and causing coughing and headaches even for those without (Blackwell, 2023).
Correctional facilities have a duty to maintain the safety of those they incarcerate, and yet too often incarcerated people are harmed due to the failures to adequately respond to weather events. While the American Correctional Association requires prison staff to be trained in their facility’s emergency management plans, they have no specific standards that these plans must meet (American Correctional Association, 2021). In addition, a study examining state emergency management plans found 25% made no mention of incarcerated individuals at all, with a further 35% only mentioning them as potential labor for the state’s disaster response (Maner et. al, 2022).
With climate related disasters having risen dramatically in recent years, it is abundantly clear that these issues are becoming increasingly urgent. Widespread reform to address the disproportionate danger that natural disasters and extreme weather poses to those who are incarcerated must occur. Strict standards for disaster plans must be made. Correctional staff need to be well trained in these plans and facilities must hire the staff and obtain the resources necessary to execute these plans successfully. One does not have to be innocent to deserve safety.
References
American Correctional Association. (2021). Performance-based standards and
expected practices for adult correctional institutions. https://user-
The Associated Press. (2006, August 10). Report outlines prison horror in Katrina’s
wake. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14290778
Blackwell, C. (2023, August 28). Wildfires Are a Dire Threat to Incarcerated People
Like Me. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/wildfires-
Maner, M., Behne, M. F., Cullins, Z., Cowan, K. N., Peterson, M., & Brinkley-
Rubinstein, L. (2022). Where Do You Go When Your Prison Cell Floods?
Inadequacy of Current Climate Disaster Plans of US Departments of
Correction. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 112(10), 1382–1384.
Skarha, J., Dominick, A., Spangler, K., Dosa, D., Rich, J. D., Savitz, D. A., & Zanobetti,
A. (2022). Provision of Air Conditioning and Heat-Related Mortality in Texas
Prisons. JAMA network open, 5(11), e2239849.
Weill-Greenberg, E., Corey, E., & O'Connor, M. (2024, October 9). Hurricane Milton
Threatens Florida Jails and Prisons. The Appeal.
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