Hai Zhou
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
Lake Worth, FL, United States
Hey Guys! Thanks for checking out my third blog. Getting tired of all the academic ideas and don’t know how to relate to them? No worries, because in this blog, I would like to share with you some participatory experiences I’ve had.
From June 2-5, I went to Denton, Texas, to attend the second national Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons following last year’s initial gathering in Washington, DC. I participated in two days of panels and workshops in which more than 100 people from all over the country came together in the environmental science hall of University of North Texas, and on the last day I joined a protest in front of the FMC Carswell in an attempt to raise people’s awareness of the environmental health of inmates and to show our resolution to fight mass incarceration.
People participating in the panels were from all walks of life—former prisoners, those whose parents or children have been incarcerated, journalists and staff writers covering environmental journals, and those like me, who are doing research on environmental justice and the health of inmates. We discussed research on mass incarceration and its social implications, listened to former inmates sharing their stories about unfair treatment before and after being incarcerated, and talked to current prisoners via phone about their living conditions.
Among all the conversations, health stands out as a prominent issue, and it is indeed a perennial concern at all levels of correctional facilities. Talking via phone, one current prisoner complained about the overheating in summer. The only solution given was to drink more water—water found to contain arsenic 2.5 to 4.5 times the standard set by the EPA. Thankfully, after a lawsuit, the prison brought in bottled water and has recently installed a water filter.
Several former inmates discussed their solitary confinement experience and mentioned that it led to them experiencing mental health issues. Participants who had children in prison shared stories about how their children lost more than 20 pounds during incarceration and how they were neglected when they requested medical treatment, despite the fact that their conditions worsened over time.
We know that health care is a basic human right, and I believe that health should be guaranteed based on the simple fact that one is a human being. Everybody should have access to nutritious food, clean water, some private space, and a healthy social relationship with others. With that in mind, we were ready to make our voice heard.
On June 5, we went to FMC Carswell to hold a demonstration regarding toxic prisons. Carswell, a federal female prison located within one mile of the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, a Superfund site, is known for offering insufficient health care despite being a medical center. People raised banners that read “Fight Toxic Prisons” and used a bullhorn to chant, “You are not forgotten! You are not alone! We will fight to bring you home!” while marching down the street towards Carswell.
After the demonstration, I wondered for a long time about what the effects of the convergence and demonstration might be. I think the biggest impact is that we sent a message to all inmates that we care about them, that we believe health is a human right and will continue to fight for them not because they are prisoners, but because they are people.