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31 Berkeley J. Crim. L. 1 (2026)

handle is hein.journals/bjcl31 and id is 1 raw text is: Introduction: Confronting Climate Change in Correctional Facilities Fall Symposium, October 22, 2025 Berkeley Law. I. FRAMING THE SYMPOSIUM: WHY CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES MATTERS. In the fall of 2025, the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law and Berkeley Criminal Law and Justice Center hosted its third annual symposium focusing on the timely topic of confronting climate change in correctional facilities. While our modern society grapples with the effects of a rapidly changing climate in a myriad of ways, focusing on correctional facilities highlights the severity of how this universal issue results in gravely disproportionate impacts. Prisons and jails are uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts: often located in geographic areas facing extreme environmental conditions, they are designed with aging infrastructure lacking in sufficient ventilation, cooling systems, and emergency response protocol. As extreme heat, wildfires, and flooding become more severe, these inadequate conditions transform carceral facilities into high- risk environments bearing disproportionate harm on those who are not free to leave. Confronting climate change in correctional facilities sits at the intersection of environmental policy, public health, legal advocacy, and grassroots organizing. It is a dynamic and nuanced issue that affects not only those incarcerated but all those who operate within the prison walls, like prison doctors and correctional officers. It extends beyond prison walls, impacting a wider community of researchers, organizers, and advocates whose work allows them mobility to move between prisons and the free world. The symposium brought together medical professionals, researchers, civil rights attorneys, journalists, and policymakers. By bringing together a diverse group of speakers, the symposium sought to break down professional silos and build cross-disciplinary partnerships to force institutions to establish meaningful protections that honor human dignity. Finally, confronting climate change in correctional facilities forces a broader reckoning with those whose lives are prioritized when it comes to DOI: https://doi.org/10.15779/Z38736M50J Copyright © 2026 Regents of the University of California 1