Tara Goddard

Dec 6, 2024 | today.tamu.edu | J. Carlee Purdum |Tara Goddard |Lesley Henton |Drs. Benika Dixon

The United States has almost 2 million people behind bars in prisons, jails and detention centers – the largest such population in any country. Although incarcerated people are locked away from the outside world, they are even more vulnerable to the impacts of disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, than the rest of society. People who are incarcerated can’t take protective actions, such as evacuating or securing their belongings. They have no say in decisions that the system makes for them.

Nov 12, 2024 | theconversation.com | Benika C. Dixon |J. Carlee Purdum |Tara Goddard

Prisons and jails are difficult to evacuate when wildfires or storms approach. Many of these facilities lack evacuation plans and may keep incarcerated people on-site instead of moving them to safety.