STOP THE HEAT
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff Paul Penzone, Director Charles Ryan, and Arizona Dept. of Corrections.
Nation Inside and Middle Ground Prison Reform are hearing concerns from prisoners and families in Arizona regarding excessive heat conditions, an issue of actual life and death in a state whose summers reach triple digit temperatures. Let’s protect those within our criminal justice system by putting pressure on public and private prison and jail officials to correct these dangerous conditions
Today, there are about three hundred people serving time in “Tent City,” a notorious prison work camp operated by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Although threadbare, the canvas tents Tent City inmates are forced to live and sleep in can act as ovens, trapping heat inside even as, outside, night falls and temperatures finally crawl beneath 100 degrees.
Where facilities fail to take appropriate measures to cool inmates, there will be illness, needless suffering and the possibility of death. Exposing those inside our nation’s prisons or jails to lethal temperatures is wrong. It’s unconstitutional, amounting to a form of cruel and unusual punishment, and a violation of basic human rights. Help those inside by joining the “Stop the Heat” campaign and by pressuring Arizona’s criminal justice officials to take action.
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To:
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff Paul Penzone, Director Charles Ryan, and Arizona Dept. of Corrections.
From:
[Your Name]
Getting pulled into Arizona’s criminal justice system shouldn’t be a death sentence. We demand that an outside, independent group or human rights observer be granted access to facilities like Tent City to monitor heat conditions and to make sure they’re adequately addressed. This access should include the option to make unannounced visits and the ability to speak with randomly chosen inmates, privately, outside the earshot of guards. Moreover, records regarding inmates removed from tents for heat-related reasons should be made available for review.
While it is helpful to provide hydration during periods of excessive heat, a misting system with large fans that circulate misted air throughout tents should be installed and operated.
Temperatures should be monitored and logged on an hourly basis from multiple positions throughout tents, including at floor level, at ceiling height and in corners that are farthest away from fans or misting devices. These records should be available to the group or observer monitoring heat conditions. The numbers of bottled water consumed by inmates, along with the records of the number of inmates who spend more than two (2) consecutive hours in any tent or bed assignment should be recorded in a log and available for inspection.
During such dangerous conditions, and on a temporary basis, the State Department of Corrections must suspend use of its outdoor enclosures at all prison units for any length of time and ensure that its privately contracted prisons are also temporarily suspending use of outdoor enclosures, as well.
We know that extreme heat conditions can quickly prove dangerous for inmates with health issues, the elderly, or those who require medication of the type that creates symptoms exacerbated by heat.
With temperatures reaching 117-120 degrees, the incarcerated, as well as those on parole, community supervision or probation who are unable to find proper housing because of court restrictions, are in peril. We urge all criminal justice supervising authorities, both county and state, to provide safe spaces for formerly incarcerated people facing housing restrictions that result in homelessness and dangerous exposure to heat.