With Temperatures Rising to Triple Digits, Incarcerated People in Prison and Prison Staff Are Facing Serious Heat Related Mental and Physical Health Issues

Date:  06-20-2024 Heat stroke, an increase in violence, drinking water out of toilet bowls to stay hydrated are just some of the issues linked to the lack of air conditioning

From Politico: Temperatures inside some prison cells in the South routinely exceed 120 degrees in the summer months. Inmates in these facilities often resort to drinking toilet water to cool off. In Texas alone, at least 14 prison deaths per year can be attributed to extreme heat. Of course, there’s an easy — if costly — solution: installing air conditioning. But politicians across the conservative South have repeatedly balked at forking over tens of millions of dollars to improve conditions for a population that garners little public sympathy from their constituents. Recent efforts in both Texas and Florida to allocate major funding to address the issue have sputtered due to resistance from lawmakers. The end result: The vast majority of facilities remain without AC in many states. Roughly three-quarters of Florida prisons lack AC, according to Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon. Over two-thirds of Texas prison beds don’t have air conditioning throughout the facilities as of 2024, with many prisons in Georgia and Alabama also without complete air conditioning. Continue reading >>>