In my eleven summers in Colorado, it seems everyone wears the same cologne. You won’t find this salty, acrid fragrance in a posh Paris boutique; it can only be found in damp and dingy locker rooms, or in uncooled prisons like the one where I reside. Even showers only offer relief for about as long as it takes to dry off.
I’m talking about the ubiquitous smell of sweat and body odor in my prison on hot days.
Last summer, I tried to research the hot weather protocols for this prison. In the law library, sweating, I soaked through several pages of my notebook and found that there are no safety measures, only a program statement that reads: “At least 10 cubic feet of fresh or recycled filtered air per person per minute must be provided for inmate cells/rooms, officers stations and dining areas.”
In place of modern cooling, people at my prison improvise different ways to stay cool. Coping with the heat requires trial and error. You run with what works. But even then, the heat is dangerous for some.
Some outside air is drawn through open windows, but recirculated air is only as cool as the outside temperatures.
Richard L. has spent two summers at Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, his first on the swamp-cooled North Range of the East Unit. Swamp coolers, also known as evaporative coolers, cool air by evaporating water, which absorbs heat.
“I didn’t have too much of an issue with the heat in 2024. [Here] in Center Range there’s less control over the heat. Closing our window now has zero effect when other cell windows are open. It’s all open space on the Center Range,” he said.
Personally, I flipped my worn mattress so that my head is near the cell’s entrance, to take advantage of spurts of air from the hall. I also put wet towels on my forehead and bury my face in cold water from the bathroom sink.
Ice can help, but we have only one ice machine for 200 people. Naturally, it is prone to summer breakdowns from overuse. We recently went two days without ice before HVAC workers were able to fix it.
“I’ve seen people standing in front of the fans or moving to cooled areas. One of my biggest frustrations is the lack of ice because too many inmates use it for refrigeration. When people like me want some ice for water bottles it’s often gone,” said Richard L.
Our chapel and recreation areas have swamp coolers; but unless you’re working on hobby crafts or getting even more sweaty working out, “No Loitering” signs essentially tell heat escapees to go away.
“Heat is a threat to all inmates, but I believe more so to the many elderly or disabled individuals with major health concerns. In just the past month we’ve had two inmates die from heart issues. It’s possible heat issues may have caused them,” Brian Knight said.
Knight himself is epileptic, and has suffered seizures due to extreme heat. Knight’s seizures can lead to memory loss, traumatic brain injury and heart issues.
“I must be very careful and self-aware of how I’m feeling at any given moment,” Knight said. “I may not realize that I’m in danger until it’s too late.”
The only advice from medical staff? Drink water and walk the track.
