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Heat exposure, cloudy water, and bad air: The data gap of toxic prisons

Summary

Despite the growing use of data-driven tools for environmental justice, these often fail to address the conditions in U.S. prisons. The Toxic Prisons Mapping Project, led by Ufuoma Ovienmhada and the group Fight Toxic Prisons, reveals how environmental hazards like heat, contaminated water, and air pollution disproportionately impact incarcerated populations. Combining satellite data with the testimonies of incarcerated people, the project highlights systemic neglect. While these tools may inform immediate actions, like prison evacuations, organizers advocate for a future without prisons, where people and land are not treated as disposable.

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