Carceral Labor and the Inequities of Climate Adaptation Infrastructure

• In Event: 30454 - Student Forum Special Topic Paper Session

Abstract

As climate-driven disasters intensify, the need for equitable climate adaptation infrastructure has never been more urgent. This paper investigates the use of incarcerated labor in wildfire suppression, exposing how carceral systems are embedded in climate adaptation efforts. While these efforts aim to build resilience and protect vulnerable populations, incarcerated workers — often performing hazardous tasks for little to no pay and without basic protections — are excluded from the benefits of the resilience they help create. This practice underscores a troubling disconnect: the labor of incarcerated individuals, who are disproportionately people of color and economically marginalized, is exploited to compensate for systemic failures, such as underfunded rural emergency services, without addressing the root causes of these problems. This study draws on a literature review, public document analysis, and an examination of public discourse to explore how incarcerated labor is mobilized for wildfire management in California, Oregon, and Washington, situating these practices within broader discussions of racial capitalism, mobility justice, and state disinvestment. The findings highlight the limitations of current adaptation strategies, which prioritize short-term crisis management over long-term systemic change. By relying on incarcerated labor, policymakers reinforce systems of exploitation and exclusion, undermining the principles of justice and equity that should guide resilience efforts. This paper calls for a shift toward community-driven climate adaptation strategies that prioritize sustainable investments in public-sector employment and center social infrastructure and mobility justice. A truly just adaptation framework must ensure that resilience efforts do not replicate systems of exclusion but actively work to dismantle them.

Author

• Rachel J Springer, Portland State University