At Blue Raster, we are committed to leveraging technology for equity and environmental justice. Our latest collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab - Space Enabled Research group and Fight Toxic Prisons (FTP), is a participatory research initiative designed to shed light on the environmental hazards faced by prisons, jails, and detention centers across the United States. From extreme heat and air pollution to flooding and wildfires, this project aims to document the challenges that these facilities impose on both the incarcerated individuals and the surrounding communities.
The heart of the project lies in its community-driven approach. It brings together a diverse team of academics, grassroots organizers, and, most importantly, those directly impacted by incarceration. Our role at Blue Raster was to transform the vision of this initiative into an interactive mapping tool that not only highlights these environmental hazards but also elevates the voices of formerly incarcerated individuals. By incorporating their stories, we aim to facilitate a deeper understanding of the human impact behind the data.
Blue Raster's Role in the Project
Our team was tasked with transforming a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data into a user-friendly mapping tool. Our development process emphasized community engagement, gathering input from focus groups and interviews to ensure the platform reflects the needs of those most affected by the carceral system.
The development process, led by Dr. Ufuoma Ovienmhada from MIT Media Lab’s Space Enabled Research Group, unfolded in three pivotal phases. It began with in-depth interviews with community organizers, many of whom had firsthand experience with the prison system. These discussions highlighted the essential environmental data needed to support their advocacy efforts. In response, we designed a tool that enables users to visualize key environmental hazards affecting prisons, empowering organizers to drive meaningful policy change.
The tool developed using ArcGIS Dashboard and Experience Builder was utilized to house and display all the information captured as part of this initiative. It featured several tabs for viewing carceral facilities on map with more specific details to each facility attributed to each point using pop-ups and info tables. Additionally, users can navigate to the 'Insights' tab to learn more about risk factors these facilities experience. These risk factors include particulate matter, wildfire, overpopulation, extreme heat, flooding and drought intensity. And finally, user can navigate to the 'Storytelling' tab to read and listen to narratives and accounts from previous inmates around some of the environmental conditions they faced when they were detained or incarcerated at specific facilities.
The team collaborated closely with Fight Toxic Prisons (FTP), a human rights activism group. The FTP movement is inspired by the abolitionist movement against mass incarceration and the environmental justice movement, which have both been led by the communities of color who are hardest hit by prisons and pollution. For this project, they were very instrumental in outlining requirements for the tool and further refining the tool based on the feedback gathered from focus groups.
Gathering stories from individuals within the system.
Monitoring of Environmental Hazards
Utilizing Esri’s powerful GIS software, we designed an accessible interface that features not only quantitative data but also qualitative narratives. These personal stories add a vital layer of context to the environmental data.
In its Beta form, the Toxic Prisons Mapping Project is a starting point for ongoing monitoring of environmental hazards related to carceral facilities. We envision this tool evolving through continuous feedback and contributions from the community, particularly those who have been directly impacted by the system, providing a resource for real-time awareness and long-term advocacy.
The dedication of individuals like Dr. Ovienmhada, Mei Azaad, and the many activists who shared their stories has been instrumental in bringing this project to life.
We invite you to explore the mapping tool at it's official website.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine the tool and expand its capabilities.
Contact Form
- Posted in
- ArcGIS Dashboards
- ArcGIS Experience Builder
- ArcGIS Online
- Climate
- Environment
- GIS
- Human Rights
- Natural Hazards
- Nonprofit/NGO
- Uncategorized
Related Posts
- Supporting the 2024 AANHPI National Unity Summit
- Enabling cooperative engagement within the Asian American Community
- Revitalizing Main Street: Tracking Community Opportunities with BOOMS Tracker
- Blue Raster Pioneering Imagery Management Technology and Delivery Workflows with ArcGIS
- National Audubon Society’s Bird Migration Explorer