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 on the island.
Emergency responders are not portrayed in this film.
This film suggests that the United States government and the United States Marine Corp should take corrective action in supporting those affected by cancer from the mishandlings of the polluted water and they should take action in cleaning up pollution on bases throughout the United States and communities nearby.
The main point of the article is to show the ethical and enviromental danger inmates face on Riker Island. This is supported by the description heat emergencies that are risking lives of inmates, air pollution in the facility due to methane gas that is being produced by the landfill it was built on, and the shifting in the ground that is leading to cracking, subjecting facilities to flooding during extreme weather.
The main stakeholders portrayed in this film is the Marines and family members of Marines living at Camp Lejeune. Many of them have been diagnosed with cancer, likely caused by chemicals in the base's water supply. Several of the victims have united to question the government and the actions they failed to take after reports of polluted water.
The primary view point of the film was from those directly affected by cancer from the polluted water or family members of those affected.
The author of the article conducted research my interviewing inmates and looking into legal cases and government actions.
The argument/narrative is made and sustained by the use of Sgt. Ensminger's back story and the stories of other Marine's and their families. The film includes interviews with chemist who tested the base's water supply in the 1980's, Senate and House committee meetings, testimony from USMC Colonel, and current chemical investigations at military bases.
The film best addresses any layperson interested in enviromental policy, healthcare, or military affairs.
“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.”
"'Sometimes [the detainees] tell [the guards], 'we not locking in becuase its too hot,' Jackson says. Such refusal has often meant calling in the Emergency Services Unit, the jail version of a riot squad. Referred to as 'the turtles' by some detainees, the ESU is known to use extreme force when bringing people back to their cells"