‘We Fear For Our Lives’: Understanding, Responding and Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change on the Malawian Prison System

Abstract Prisons are frequently excluded from hazard risk management, disaster mitigation planning particularly in the aftermath of climate disasters. People deprived of their liberty are wholly reliant on the State, and unable to protect themselves from climate related threats. This is especially the case in Africa where over one million people are incarcerated. We report from Malawi, a least developed country in sub-Saharan Africa, where the system is operating over 234 per cent capacity. With no climate change responsive prison policy, nor research on this topic despite evidence for disrupted agriculture and seasonal cyclone activity; we conducted a rapid situation assessment to evaluate the impact of climate change on the Malawi prison system operations. Interviews and small focus groups were conducted with professional stakeholders (n = 12), prison officers (n = 15), juvenile prisoners (n = 10), and former prisoners (n = 50). Reflexive thematic analysis revealed six themes: climate impacts and infrastructural challenges; extreme life-threatening events and (in)ability to evacuate; fluctuating temperatures, prison system congestion and ventilation; water crisis and environmental health; navigating crop failures, interrupted grain supply and food (in)security; and circulation of disease and amplified health vulnerability. Findings illustrate how climate change poses substantial challenges to congested prison operations in Malawi; infrastructure protection, sanitation and maintenance; (in)ability to safely evacuate; power, water and food shortages; and circulation of disease. Vulnerable prisoners include women, children and people with disabilities. The assessment evidence will inform the development of a climate responsive prison action plan for the Malawi Prison system and represent an exemplar for the Southern African region.