Detention Time: Understanding Air Pollution's Lingering Effects

Air detention time refers to the length of time that prisoners are exposed to unsafe and inhumane environmental conditions, such as air pollution, in detention facilities. In recent years, there has been growing concern over the environmental injustice experienced by incarcerated people, who are often housed in facilities located in areas with elevated risks for pollution-related cancer, respiratory hazards, and exposure to hazardous waste. These environmental hazards have been linked to health issues such as skin rashes, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory distress. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces regulations under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, advocates argue that EPA guidelines do not adequately protect the environmental health of prisoners.

Incarcerated people are exposed to unsafe environmental conditions

The age and location of a detention facility play a significant role in the type of pollution and environmental hazards prisoners are exposed to. Older prison facilities may have structural issues such as mold, asbestos, and lead pipes, which can contaminate drinking water. Prisons built on or near polluted land expose incarcerated individuals to higher levels of toxins and pollution, including arsenic in drinking water and soil-dwelling fungi that can cause valley fever, a potentially deadly infection.

Climate change further exacerbates the unsafe environmental conditions in prisons. Prisons often lack adequate climate resilience, such as air conditioning during heat waves, putting incarcerated people at risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. Wildfires and extreme weather events also pose significant threats to prisons, and evacuation plans are rarely implemented, leaving incarcerated individuals vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In addition to structural and environmental hazards, the use of hazardous disinfectants in detention facilities has raised concerns. Detainees have reported symptoms consistent with acute exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), including nosebleeds, vomiting, and respiratory distress. The routine spraying of these chemicals creates a cloud of toxic air, further deteriorating the air quality within the facilities.

The lack of oversight and accountability in the prison system contributes to the persistence of unsafe environmental conditions. Despite lawsuits and complaints filed under the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, claiming that prison conditions amount to "cruel and unusual punishment," change has been slow. Incarcerated people face systemic barriers to accessing legal proceedings and often lack the protection of regulatory agencies, leaving them vulnerable to environmental injustice.

Air pollution from industrial emitters near prisons

Prisons are often built near or directly on abandoned industrial sites, wastelands, and contaminated lands. This predisposes incarcerated people to harmful air pollutants and serious environmental hazards, such as tainted water. The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) emissions, for example, are higher in Oklahoma zip codes encompassing prisons than in zip codes without them.

The age of a prison facility also determines the type of pollution to which prisoners are exposed. Older facilities may have issues with mold, asbestos, and lead pipes, which can contaminate drinking water. Prisons built on contaminated lands, such as coal waste deposits, old mining sites, and landfills, have caused permanent damage to prisoners, including skin rashes, sores, cysts, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer.

Prisons themselves also contribute to local environmental degradation. A study by Toman examined whether industrial facilities located close to correctional facilities emitted higher levels of toxic chemicals than those located further away. The key finding was that at a national level, prison zip codes did not experience higher toxic emissions than non-prison zip codes. However, at a regional level, three out of nine regions showed significantly higher levels of emissions in prison zip codes.

Prison labor programs and local power generation have also been identified as contributors to poor local air quality. Over the past five years, 92 informal actions and 51 formal actions were brought against prisons, jails, and detention centers across the country under the Clean Air Act.

The environmental conditions in prisons have been described as a human rights crisis, with incarcerated people having little to no agency over their exposure to harmful conditions.

Pollution from hazardous waste treatment plants near prisons

Prisons are often located in rural areas, near landfills, waste sites, and abandoned industrial sites. This proximity to hazardous waste treatment plants exposes prisoners to serious environmental hazards, including harmful air pollutants. The age of a detention facility also determines the type of pollution to which prisoners are exposed, with older facilities containing mould, asbestos, and lead pipes.

Incarcerated people have limited agency over their living conditions and are often exposed to unsafe and inhumane environmental conditions. For example, in western Pennsylvania, a state prison located on a coal waste deposit has caused skin rashes, sores, cysts, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer in prisoners. Similarly, at the Laborde Correctional Center in Louisiana, an abandoned tire landfill caught fire and burned for four days before the prison evacuated.

Prisons often fail to provide a basic standard of livability, and climate change and extreme weather further strain prison administrations' ability to care for those in their custody. In addition to air pollution, prisoners may also face tainted water and unsafe exposure to industrial chemicals. For example, hazardous waste treatment facilities generate waste that must be disposed of at other treatment facilities, leading to additional air and water pollution.

Furthermore, hazardous waste incineration, such as the proposed Elcon facility in Bucks County, can create significant smog-causing air pollution. The Clean Air Council has successfully opposed several hazardous waste incinerators, recognising the potential health risks to nearby residents. However, despite these efforts, pollution from hazardous waste treatment plants continues to pose a significant risk to nearby prisons and communities.

While there is limited research on the environmental health impacts on incarcerated communities, it is clear that pollution from hazardous waste treatment plants near prisons is a critical issue that requires urgent attention to protect the health and human rights of those involved.

The use of hazardous disinfectants in detention centres

Air detention time refers to the length of time that air remains in a particular space. In the context of pollution, this term is often used to discuss the removal of pollutants from the air in a given area.

Now, turning to the issue of hazardous disinfectant use in detention centres, there have been numerous reports and complaints regarding the use of toxic disinfectant chemicals in crowded immigration detention facilities, such as the Glades County Detention Center in Florida, which holds people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These disinfectants, including Mint, Maxim Neutral, GS Neutral, and Sani-T-10 Plus, contain quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and have been linked to various health issues for detainees, including nosebleeds, vomiting, respiratory distress, skin irritation, and eye damage.

The overuse of disinfectants in these facilities has been a cause for concern, with reports of spraying occurring multiple times a day or even over 50 times a day. In one instance, an inmate at the Adelanto Detention Center in California reported:

> "When I blow my nose, blood comes out," [...] "They are treating us like animals. One person fainted and was taken out, I don't know what happened to them. There is no fresh air."

The concentration of the disinfectant chemicals has also been a problem. In March 2020, an email from Chad Schipansky, commander of the detention division at Glades County, instructed personnel to mix one gallon of Mint disinfectant with a half-gallon of water, which is still a much higher concentration than federal or industry requirements.

The potential health risks associated with exposure to these hazardous disinfectants are significant. Manufacturers' safety data sheets for QAC-based disinfectants warn against inhalation and skin or eye contact, noting potential consequences such as breathing problems, skin irritation, and blindness. Additionally, high vapor concentrations of these chemicals may cause central nervous system effects, including headaches and dizziness.

The use of these hazardous disinfectants in detention centres has sparked complaints and lawsuits from civil rights groups and advocacy organizations, who allege that the living conditions in these facilities are unsanitary, hostile, and unsafe. These groups are fighting for the environmental health and safety of detainees, as well as calling attention to the lack of systematic studies on environmental injustice and health impacts on incarcerated communities.

Prisons built on or near toxic sites

Prisons are often built on or near toxic sites, which has severe health consequences for incarcerated people. In the United States, nearly half of federal and state prisons are located within three miles of federal Superfund sites, which include contaminated manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mines. These sites pose serious risks to human health and the environment due to the presence of toxic chemicals and pollutants.

For example, the Rikers jail complex in New York City is situated on a landfill, exposing inmates and staff to toxic fumes that have caused respiratory issues and other health problems. Similarly, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as "Angola," has been criticized for its ruthless conditions, with nearby fossil fuel and petrochemical facilities contributing to air pollution and potentially impacting the health of those incarcerated there.

The age of a detention facility also plays a role in the type of pollution prisoners are exposed to. Older facilities may have issues such as mould, asbestos, and lead pipes, which can contaminate drinking water. Prisons located on former mining sites or near waste sites can also experience water contamination and pesticide exposure, leading to health issues such as cancer and gastrointestinal problems.

In some cases, prisons have been knowingly built on toxic land, despite concerns about their environmental impact. For instance, a new prison is under construction near the Great Salt Lake in Utah, despite the region's susceptibility to earthquakes and the potential for soil liquefaction.

The environmental injustice experienced by incarcerated individuals extends beyond physical health issues. The lack of systematic studies on environmental health impacts in prisons highlights a broader disregard for the rights and well-being of prisoners. This is further exacerbated by the inadequate healthcare available in prisons, making it difficult to address health issues effectively.

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