Published • loading... • Updated
As heat becomes more extreme, inmates are increasingly threatened by rising temperatures
Studies and lawsuits are pushing states to add cooling as prisons report hotter cells, higher death risks and limited access to water, ice and air conditioning.
- According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, most U.S. prisons experienced at least 10 days in the summer hotter than any previous year as climate change fuels rising temperatures.
- Built during a 1970s construction boom, many prisons feature heat-trapping concrete and steel structures, while overcrowding and movement restrictions exacerbate health risks for incarcerated people.
- Carlos Ramirez Bibiano died in a Georgia prison after temperatures reached 96 F, prompting a $3.25 million legal settlement with his family for his death from heat exposure.
- A federal judge recently declared extreme heat in Texas prisons "plainly unconstitutional," ordering the state to install air conditioning by the end of 2029 following recent lawsuits.
- University of Houston assistant professor Carlee Purdum says preventing further deaths requires "attention and investment and collaborations between those agencies and the experts" to address extreme heat.
Insights by Ground AI
21 Articles
21 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 38%
C 57%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
