The issue of e-waste recycling happening under dehumanizing conditions of the US penal system may be rightfully regarded as a manifestation of challenges facing the country today. Indeed, the increasing rates of prison populations across the state and extremely hazardous e-waste scopes are some of the most explicit socio-environmental problems that the US society has to tackle today. Instead of addressing these issues separately and mindfully, the local government made an effort to kill two birds with one stone while being driven by the economic benefit of such an endeavor (Conrad 348). However, in this metaphor, stone stands for actual human beings who are exposed to the threats of e-waste, improper recycling complications, and inhumane conditions of the state penitentiary system. For this reason, it is practically impossible to introduce any critique considering the arguments outlined in the article.
The notion of restorative environmental justice, emphasized in the text, is, by all means, a promising concept when interpreted appropriately. In the given context, the possible restorative outcomes become extremely complex when it comes to ethical consideration of penitentiary justice and human rights. Many people believe that being put at risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals may be less ethically questionable in the environment where people make amends for a committed crime. However, the theory of environmental justice goes beyond the causal links between crime and reparation. According to the European Forum or Restorative Justice (2), the possible restorative outcomes in the case of environmental harm include apologies, restoration of harm, prevention, and compensation. Considering the situation, these are the steps that are to be taken by the BOP and DOJ to prevent environmental justice from an irreversible collapse.
Works Cited
Conrad, Sarah M. “A Restorative Environmental Justice for Prison E-Waste Recycling.” Peace Review, vol. 23, no. 3, 2011, pp. 348-355.
European Forum for Restorative Justice. “Thematic Brief on Restorative Environmental Justice.” Leuven, Belgium, 2020.