AN ANALYSIS OF HEAT EXPOSURE IN NORTH CAROLINA CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS

Exposure to heat, particularly extreme heat, is associated with a variety of negative health impacts. Prison populations, in particular, are at an increased risk due to physical and social isolation, disproportionate rates of physical and mental illnesses, and prison infrastructure. In my thesis, I draw on insights from research on climate-health, environmental and climate justice, and prison health to conceptualize prison heat as a public health concern and environmental injustice. I use these understandings to explore the variations in heat vulnerability across fifty-seven (57) state and federal prison facilities in NC. I develop a typology described in the methods below and aim to enhance understanding of the spatial variations in prison heat vulnerability in NC and the associated environmental justice implications.