For our show this week, Micol Seigel talks to Abby Cuniff. Cuniff is a reporter who recently published an article about arsenic contamination in Kern Valley State Prison in California. In this conversation, they talk about the prevalence of arsenic in California’s Central Valley- including in its prisons.

She also describes the impact of the PLRA- The Prison Litigation Reform Act- a law Congress put in place in the 1990s, which was designed to decrease the incidence of litigation within the court system. This law was put into place to undermine the ability of jailhouse lawyers to file lawsuits addressing their cases and conditions.

Cuniff details some of their research, and highlights the neglect many prisoners faced when their health problems began to surface.

Special thanks to Abby and Micol. You can read Abby’s story on Truthout.

Thanks to Perilous Chronicle- check them out at perilouschronicle.com