CRITERION 1: Health & Wellness of Incarcerated People Incarcerated people are more likely to have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, and serious mental health disorders, such 92 as anxiety and depression, than the general population. Climate hazards can exacerbate these health conditions. According to the California Department of Public Health, extreme heat can lead to heat-related illness and death and cardiovascular failure; wildfires and smoke can lead to injuries, fatalities, and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases; and severe weather and floods can lead 93 to injuries and fatalities, as well as indoor fungi and mold to form. Additionally, climate hazards negatively impact mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety, and depression. 94 To address the vulnerability of incarcerated people, our first criterion is Health and Wellness of Incarcerated People. This is defined as 1) reducing exposure to the effects of climate hazards on incarcerated people and 2) promoting the physical and/or mental well-being of an incarcerated person in the event of a climate hazard. The indicators we used to assess physical and mental well-being are defined in Table 8 below. TABLE 8. Indicators of physical and mental well-being.
INDICATOR
DEFINITION
Injury and Death
Whether a policy option can reduce injury and death during a climate hazard
Perceptions of Safety
Whether a policy option can promote realistic perceptions of safety among incarcerated people during a climate hazard
Access to Knowledge and Resources that Mitigate the Effects of Climate Hazards
Whether a policy option improved 1) incarcerated people’s understanding of emergency preparedness and response strategies, or 2) access to these climate hazards-mitigating resources
Living Conditions
Whether a policy improved the conditions of incarcerated individuals’ confinement. Living conditions could be improved through infrastructure upgrades, hazard mitigation strategies, and organizational changes within CDCR
