This article relates to public health as the conditions of the island prison are a health concern of themselves and other conditions exacerbate existing health issues of inmates there. It also addresses the issues with healthcare, housing, and financial stability after release from the system.
Hailey-Means was incarcerated at Rikers and provides an inside view of the deteriorating conditions of the facility.
Freddie McGrier talked about the extreme heat the cells faced in the warm season and the dangers to his life that he faced because of his heart condition. Johnny Perez echoed Freddie’s input. Susi Vassallo, who is professor at NY University Medical School, deemed the heat conditions a serious threat to the health of the inmates.
Omar Smith, also incarcerated at Rikers, has developed asthma during his sentence which is likely due to the poisonous gases released by the decomposing landfill under the prison.
Michael Bloomberg was Mayor of NYC during the Sandy super-storm and while he announced a plan for the evacuation of the surrounding islands there was not one for Rikers.
The New York Times is also referenced in the article for their reports on the prison’s poor welfare.
The main point of the article is to show that Riker Island is an environmental and ethical catastrophe. This is supported by the heat emergencies that are risking lives of inmates. Air pollution in the facility is rampant due to methane gas that is being produced by the landfill it was built on. The decomposing landfill causes shifting in the ground that is leading to cracking which subjects the facilities to flooding during adverse weather.
The research is mainly through interviews with inmates, but they also cite legal cases and government/organizations actions and statements.
1) “Hailey-Means’ mental and physical health quickly deteriorated. Her treatment by guards and the intolerable conditions in solitary… led Candie to try to take her own life.”
2) “What they’re calling for instead is a divestment from mass incarceration, along with an end to bail, and an investment in health care, living wage jobs, and mental health treatment that would lead to safer communities.”
I researched more into landfills and how they are made, located, decompose over time, and health concerns.
This article goes over the land needs for disposal as well as some of the politics of it. http://www.waste360.com/mag/waste_year_landfill
This video explains how landfills work and how they decompose as well as their potential threats to health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1u6rJkyzA
This research article goes into the challenges that are faced when constructing building and other projects ontop of or near landfill sites. http://faculty.engineering.asu.edu/kavazanjian/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/32_Construction-on-Old-Landfills.pdf