Over the past several years, the heat in New York state has grown more and more severe. In prison, heat is more than just an inconvenience; it’s a test of endurance and a battle against the confines of our environment.
In the summer, we sweat it out in our cells, drenching our sheets. With windows that open no more than an inch or two for “safety and security,” there is no hope for a refreshing breeze.
Heat makes people irritable and angry, leading to conflict. Arguably, the result constitutes a safety and security issue in its own right. Yet the administration turns a blind eye to that possibility.
In conversations with fellow prisoners, I learned more about the toll heat takes.
“It makes me feel frustrated and causes tension, which raises tension with other people,” Joshua Carbajal told me last summer. “Anything could set you off when you’re too hot. There’s nowhere to escape the heat in here.”
Research supports what we experience daily during the hot months. A 2024 article in the American Psychological Association’s magazine states that “heat has psychological consequences … ranging from irritability to impulsivity to trouble concentrating. … [It] may also lead to general mental health impacts and increased friction within society.”
Our administration seems reluctant to address this issue. In addition to restricting how much windows can open, the administration at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville eliminated the sale of 8-inch electric fans last year, claiming they posed a safety threat. The commissary briefly offered rechargeable 4-inch fans as an alternative, but those were quickly deemed a security risk because of the USB chargers and cords. Left without these small comforts, prisoners are forced to face the heat with little relief.
That can be a huge problem for people with health conditions. George Clowers was rushed to medical last summer because the heat aggravated his heart condition.
“It was so hot, I felt like I was going to puke and pass out,” he said. “My heart rate was 155. They put me on blood pressure medication called metoprolol, which needs to be taken when the body is normal temperature; if taken in extreme heat, it makes my condition worse.”
In this environment, small victories become monumental. The psychology department hands out incentives for completing certain programs. One of these items is a cooling towel, the kind you can wet with cool water and wrap around your neck to provide a bit of comfort in the heat.
The stifling conditions in prisoners’ housing units contrasts starkly with staff areas, where air conditioning is the norm. This disparity highlights a broader issue within the institution: a failure to recognize the human dignity of those incarcerated.
The extreme heat in prisons is more than an environmental condition; it’s a reflection of the wider disdain for prisoner welfare.
