Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill won’t solve the opioid epidemic, say the people most affected
Incarcerating people who use drugs is associated with increased overdose deaths after release and high rate of recidivism.
Katherine LeMasters, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Boulder •
conversation
June 13, 2025 • ~9 min
June 13, 2025 • ~9 min
Extreme heat, flooding, wildfires – Colorado’s formerly incarcerated people on the hazards they faced behind bars
More than 65% of formerly incarcerated people reported experiencing climate-related hazards, according to survey results.
Shideh Dashti, Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder •
conversation
Jan. 22, 2025 • ~8 min
Jan. 22, 2025 • ~8 min
Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters
Prisons and jails are difficult to evacuate when wildfires or storms approach. Many of these facilities lack evacuation plans and may keep incarcerated people on-site instead of moving them to safety.
Tara Goddard, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, Texas A&M University •
conversation
Nov. 12, 2024 • ~10 min
Nov. 12, 2024 • ~10 min
Rural counties increasingly rely on prisons to provide firefighters and EMTs who work for free, but the inmates have little protection or future job prospects
Georgia’s inmate fire crews respond to hundreds of calls in surrounding counties every year. Without them, there might not be a responder, but they aren’t universally loved – and they don’t get paid.
J. Carlee Purdum, Research Assistant Professor, Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University •
conversation
April 15, 2024 • ~9 min
April 15, 2024 • ~9 min
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