Image credit: Dade Correctional Institution. (2024, September 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dade_Correctional_Institution
A lawsuit filed this week by the prison reform group Florida Justice Institute (FJI) claims that extreme heat in unairconditioned cells at a prison near the Florida Everglades has contributed to the deaths of four inmates. The suit alleges that state officials have neglected to take effective measures to protect elderly and disabled prisoners from these conditions, National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate WUSF reported Nov. 1.
In September—the hottest on record in over a century for parts of South Florida—Dwayne Wilson, an inmate at Dade Correctional Institution (DCI), listened as his 81-year-old cellmate, wheelchair-bound and gasping for air, cried for help. According to the lawsuit, the man, identified as J.B., had repeatedly reported severe chest pain and breathing difficulties in the sweltering dorm where he was confined.
On Sept. 24, J.B. was taken to the infirmary after pleading for assistance, but medical staff reportedly sent him back to his cell within 15 minutes. Shortly after, J.B. was found unresponsive with his mouth open, the lawsuit states.
Attorneys claim that on the day of J.B.’s death, exhaust fans in his dorm weren’t functioning, and the heat index had reached 104°F. The unairconditioned cells, described as “sardine cans with no air to breathe,” were especially grueling for those with medical vulnerabilities. The lawsuit, targeting the Florida Department of Corrections, its secretary, and DCI’s warden, asserts that these conditions violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and contravene the Americans with Disabilities Act.
An attorney for FJI claimed the non-profit was bound to file the lawsuit because the Florida Dep’t of Corrections has ignored the concerns of incarcerated people and advocates.
While the Department of Corrections declined to comment on the pending case, they noted no record of being served the lawsuit.
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities, and climate change has intensified its impacts. Last year, the U.S. recorded its highest heat-related deaths in over 80 years. Despite soaring temperatures, 75% of Florida prison housing units lack air conditioning, according to Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon. Legislative efforts to require air conditioning installation stalled in Florida’s Republican-led legislature last year.
“There are ways to address the heat,” Republican State Sen. Jennifer Bradley said last October, cautioning that failing to act could lead to costly litigation.
Florida is not alone; similar lawsuits have emerged in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Georgia, where heat-related fatalities and abuses have been alleged. Udelsman hopes this lawsuit will prompt the courts to enforce consistent safety standards as climate change continues to pose serious risks to aging and vulnerable prison populations.
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