Carceral and Climate Crises and Health Inequities: A Call for Greater Transparency, Accountability, and Human Rights Protections

Abstract

The United States has approximately 5 percent of the world's population but incarcerates nearly 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population and produces nearly 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Climate change and hyperincarceration are causes and consequences of structural racism and economic deprivation, which disproportionately affect structurally disenfranchised citizens, including lower-income communities, communities of color, and people with disabilities. Empirical evidence exists regarding the adverse health effects of climate change and mass incarceration, which occur in cascading and overlapping categories and include preventable death, illness, and injury. Researchers underscore the medical vulnerability of incarcerated populations, who are increasingly susceptible to climate-driven exposure pathways and mental and physical health outcomes involving extreme temperatures, natural disasters, infectious diseases, and displacement. Intersectional structural drivers, such as anthropogenic climate change and hyperincarceration, undermine social and political determinants of health equity. Policymakers and health professionals can advance understanding and mitigate present and anticipated public health threats by increasing transparency, accountability, and human rights protections with an emphasis on decarceration and decarbonization.

Standardized outcome measures of mental health in research with older adults who are incarcerated

“…Estimates of mental illness among older adults who are incarcerated range from 16% (Maschi et al, 2011a) to more than 40% (Di Lorito et al, 2018;Fazel et al, 2001a). Such disparities are shaped by disproportionate traumatic experiences throughout the life course, economic deprivation, service barriers and deficient preventive and primary care and carceral-specific factors including isolation, overcrowding, violence and victimization and environmental stressors related to lighting, ventilation and temperature (Bailey et al, 2017;Ford et al, 2019;Golembeski et al, 2020Golembeski et al, , 2021Stojkovic, 2007).…”

“…Incarceration rates for persons of color are significantly higher than those of White, non-Hispanic persons and over 60% of persons who are incarcerated are people of color (Carson, 2020). Persons of color also endure disproportionate rates of arrest, detention, solitary confinement and injury, illness and death while incarcerated (Golembeski et al , 2021; Massoglia, 2008). Institutional and interpersonal discrimination and oppression including microaggressions, limited structural competency and race-related violence no doubt contribute to poor mental health outcomes among specific subsets of older adults and thus, to health inequities (Metzl and Hansen, 2014; Williams et al , 2020).…”

Only One Earth: Global health and climate justice on world environment day and beyond

“…Berger (2022) reviews the book, All creatures safe and sound: The social landscape of pets in disasters by Sarah DeYoung and Ashley Farmer, who analyze interview and survey data to assess disaster effects and recommend protection and safety policies. Golembeski et al (2021) call for greater transparency, accountability, and human rights protections for people who are incarcerated in association with climate‐induced harms, disasters, and emergencies.…”