OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington is in the midst of an excessive heat wave, with triple digit temperatures expected What does that mean for people living in prison?
According to a Prison Policy Initiative study recap published in July 2023, an 8.6% increase in state prison deaths was recorded after two executive days of extreme heat in correctional facilities across the western United States from 2001 to 2019.
While there is no federal data recording heat-related deaths in prisons, people living at Washington State Penitentiary told High Country News that they were becoming nauseous because their rooms were so hot during the 2022 heatwave.
In a statement to NonStop Local, Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) Media Relations Manager Tobby Hatley promised that prisoners will not be subjected to inhumane heat levels this summer.
“[DOC] is committed to operating safe and humane facilities, especially during the current excessive heat wave. Each facility abides by the national standards provided by the American Correctional Association for recommended comfort zone temperatures in our prison living units,” Hatley said.
Hatley went on to describe several potential measures that could be implemented if heat reaches untenable levels, including the installation of temporary cooling stations, allowing residents to wear wet towels and making sunscreen available.
“Staff at the department receive heat exhaustion training annually, which provides education on identifying heat exhaustion and appropriate responses. There are also onsite medical staff who are aware and prepared to respond in cases of any medical emergency,” Hatley said.
Amidst increasing temperatures , agencies across the state have pushed to responding to extreme temperatures. In the coming days, correctional facilities will face stifling heat that will challenge both inmates and staff.
While the Washington DOC has struggled with increasingly daunting summer temperatures in recent years, heat-related illnesses and deaths are particularly high in Texas and Florida, where high heat combined with a general lack of air conditioning has turned some prisons into active health risks during the hottest weeks of the year.
A lawsuit filed against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in May argued for mandated air conditioning in all state correctional facilities.
There is no current federal or Washington state mandate for air conditioning in prisons or jails. A Nov. 2023 ballot measure which would have created a new Spokane County correctional facility only received a 37% yes vote.
