Timothy Burgess discusses extreme heat in Vermont prisons with The Appeal

“As summers get hotter, conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous for the more than one million people locked up in state prisons, most of which do not have universal air conditioning. Even prisons in some of the hottest states, like Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia, are only partially air-conditioned, according to a survey of state corrections agencies conducted by The Appeal. For the six states that did not respond to the survey—Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, Nevada, Kansas, and West Virginia—The Appeal gathered information from news reports, including local reporting and a USA Today analysis of prison air conditioning published in 2022.

“According to The Appeal’s investigation:

• Only five states provide air conditioning in all prison housing units.
• In 22 states, most people are housed in air-conditioned units, which means more than 50 percent of state prisoners live in air-conditioned housing units;
• In 17 states, some prison housing units are air-conditioned across multiple facilities.
• In five states, few housing units are air-conditioned—only a single facility and/or specialized units, like infirmaries, are cooled.
• Only one state, Alaska, has no air-conditioned housing units.
• Just over 80 percent of federal prisons have universal air conditioning.

People are cooking. This summer, like last summer, is absolutely brutal.

“Research has found that higher temperatures—and especially prolonged periods of extreme heat—are associated with higher death rates in prison. Despite the correlation between heat and mortality, the exact number of heat-related deaths remains unknown, as many prisons do not properly track or report them, prompting concern from advocates that officials are effectively hiding these fatalities behind other causes of death. …

“Like much of the Northeast, Vermont is heating up at a troubling pace, making it one of the fastest-warming states in the country, according to the research group Climate Central.

“In June, the Vermont State Employees’ Association filed a complaint with the state on behalf of members who work at Southern State Correctional Facility. According to the complaint, an officer had developed heat stroke while he was working in the prison’s infirmary. Although this is the only unit in the facility with air conditioning, the complaint alleges it was not working properly at the time. …

“Only two out of Vermont’s six prisons are fully air-conditioned, which amounts to 29 percent of the state’s housing units, according to the DOC. The DOC spokesperson said that depending on the facility, staff may distribute free ice twice a day, place fans in common areas, use water misters, distribute popsicles, or set up water and shade stations in the yard. Prisoners can purchase a 6-inch desk fan for about $13 and an 8-inch fan for $42, almost twice as much as it costs at a local Lowe’s.

“Prisoners’ rights advocate Timothy Burgess [Leading with Conviction™ 2023] said he’s received reports from inside Southern State about the excessive heat.

“‘People are cooking,’ said Burgess, who is executive director of the Vermont chapter of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, an advocacy group known as CURE. ‘This summer, like last summer, is absolutely brutal.’”

Read the full article at TheAppeal.org.