Prisoners across the US face life-threatening heat as climate change worsens

Inmates in prisons without air conditioning, especially in regions unaccustomed to extreme heat, are increasingly at risk as temperatures rise due to climate change.

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg reports for The Appeal.

In short:

• Prisons in many states lack universal air conditioning, putting inmates at serious risk during heat waves.
• Research links extreme heat with higher mortality rates in prisons, yet many heat-related deaths go unreported.
• Advocates push for improved cooling measures in prisons, but progress remains slow and inadequate.

Key quote:

“The Earth is getting hotter, and IDOC, and corrections, in general, is not adjusting, not doing anything to make sure that prisoners are safe.”

— Anthony Ehlers, incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center

Why this matters:

Rising temperatures pose a growing threat to the health and safety of prisoners, especially in facilities unprepared for such conditions. Without intervention, the human cost will likely increase as climate change accelerates.

Related coverage:

• Prisoners in Texas sue over unsafe heat conditions
• Prisoners fight back against extreme heat on former slave plantation
• Rising temperatures threaten inmates in US prisons