Community members of Fulton County, Georgia are complaining about a youth detention center set to open in the area next month. In fact, many residents are making claims that the building of the facility is a prime example of environmental injustice. The center will sit near a cluster of surrounding neighborhoods as well as a daycare. The location of the facility, specifically its proximity to the daycare center has raised many concerns among Fulton County residents. Many people are concerned that one of the inmates will escape from the center and cause harm to the children at Sheltering Arms Learning Center located one block away. While these concerns are not entirely far-fetched, they do seem a bit exaggerated considering the large barbed wire fence, full 24 hour security staff, and extensive camera system which are in place to secure the center.
Another issue raised by the community is the lack of communication with The Department of Juvenile Justice. Neighbors have complained that they were completely unaware that the center was being built in their area while the Department insists that the community was well informed every step of the way. Until more information is released concerning the issue it cannot be determined whether the placement of the facility is truly an example of environmental injustice or not. In the traditional sense, the construction of the center does not pose an immediate threat to the community, but as previously mentioned, the potential for future problems must also be considered. Is environmental injustice only concerned with threats of contamination and other physical health hazards? Should this instance in Fulton County be categorized under a different heading? Do you think this is really a calculated targeting of an African-American community? The locals certainly think so. In the words of one of the local residents, "they wouldn't do this up north."
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/neighbors-upset-over-new-youth-detention-center-se/nLgSr/
I think that environmental injustice should consider all aspects of human-made environments, not only ones concerning contamination and physical health standards. The detention center infrastructure and the inmates talked about in this article can pose serious risks to the community's economy and environment. For example, parents may be reluctant to send their child to the daycare located near the detention center. In addition, housing property may go down because of the detention center's proximity in the community. Whether or not this case is an example of environmental "racism" should still be under examination. However, I would argue that this case is certainly an example of environmental "injustice". If the community members are telling the truth about not knowing of its construction, it should be considered unjust that this community should be burdened by the problems associated with the construction of the youth detention center.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to look at both sides of this debate. I agree with Ofuga in their comment. The opening of the detention center could hinder businesses nearby, like the daycare. My guess about housing property is that the prices are already low which has factored into the decision of the location of the facility already. The real injustice here is that the residents were unaware of the facility being placed in their neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThis could also turn into a case of environmental justice. There are many times where correctional facilities have community education and outreach programs. The inmates could end up re-entering the workforce in Fulton County. They could even volunteer in the neighborhood and contribute in terms of community service.
Either case is possible, but I know that if it were up to my community, we would have fought the building of the detention center. And I do live up north in Pennsylvania.
It is interesting that this was categorized as environmental injustice, as the issue at hand has very little to do with the natural environment. And while we have discussed that the environment includes both the natural and built, for this particular issue, a slightly different category would I think be more powerful for the cause and direct attention away from the debate of what it is or isn’t and focus it on the injustice itself. This project is an unfortunate event for the community, who will have to deal with the consequences of a destruction of urban fabric and drop in property values. And as was implied in the analysis at the end, such a project would never be proposed for an affluent white community.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note that this is a youth detention center, which has a whole different set of issues than say, a supermax or another adult facility. It might drive property values down some, but ultimately, I don't think that the detention center will be as much of a problem as some believe. I doubt the daycare is in any kind of danger; extensive security measures are in place to keep the mostly-teenage inmmates inside. I really don't think this is a case of environmental racism at all. It might be a kind of racism, but I think that the environmental impact is limited. On the list of things that could be built in the area that would cause environmental problems, I think a detention center really doesn't rank that highly. There aren't toxic emissions or runoff like those that would exist if a factory were to be built at the site. Also, let me play devil's advocate for a moment: while it might seem irritating at first, this detention center might have an employment opportunity payoff for the community. This development might not be all bad.
ReplyDeleteThe most pressing issue here is the communication breakdown. By recategorizing the issue, the debate would not be whether or not this is a case of environmental racism but rather be focused on the responsibility of the Department of Juvenile Justice to communicate clearly with the neighbors. Communication between this kind of community and any government agency has a trend of being inconsistent and generally poor, and encouraging exposure of poor communication will only improve it. I imagine that better communication would mitigate many problems in these cases, regardless of whether they are environmental issues or not.
I agree with with Ofuga that cases of environmental injustice should encompass all aspects of the environment, including human activity that doesn't necessarily involve toxic run-off or hazardous material. Now, it is true, the detention facility had to be built somewhere so what makes this location any worse than another location. However, it is worth a close examination into the decision making process to determine whether injustice has occured. I tend to agree that the most harm done in this case was the lack of communication. The article stated that even the Fulton County Commissioner, Bill Edwards, was angered by the lack of communication process citing that "they did not have community meetings" in response to the Department of Juvenile Justice's insistance that the county had been properly notified. The Department of Juvenile Justice, in turn, argued that the center is to be built here so parents from the city do not have to travel as far to visit their children. I would like to investigate the layout of the Fulton County area and find out if there are any "neutral" areas where the center could be constructed instead. Perhaps in an area less central and nearby daycare centers, etc.
Delete**highlighted commentaries and article of the week** You have some nice debate going here.
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