Florida has seen a string of heat advisories in recent days, with heat indexes topping 110 in some areas. Concern about the heat has some people looking to Florida prisons, where the majority of inmates don’t have access to air conditioning. Margie Menzel reports this comes after Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this summer vetoed funding for a pilot program that would have provided air conditioning for some prisons.
The governor’s veto decision was disappointing for advocates who hoped better prison conditions could lead to a better chance for rehabilitation.
“I think that incarcerated people expected it," said Denise Rock, executive director of the nonprofit Florida Cares Charity Corp. "They expect so little from our government. But I do think that the families and the loved ones of people that are incarcerated on the outside were hugely disappointed. Like, this is sad for them to see that their loved ones continue to suffer and languish in hot prisons in Florida.”
But Barney Bishop, CEO of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance, says he’s not worried about the comfort of incarcerated people.
“You know what? If you’re worried about air conditioning in a prison, don’t commit a crime,” he said.
Bishop says the Florida Smart Justice Alliance supports the Florida Sheriffs Association and the prosecuting attorneys.
He says air conditioning state prisons is a difficult and expensive undertaking given the age of many of the facilities. “And there’s no mood in the Florida legislature to build new prisons,” Bishop said.
Former state senator Jeff Brandes, who now heads the Florida Policy Project, agrees that state leaders aren’t interested in improving prisons. But he says it’s a dangerous choice– especially in this heat.
“What the wardens will tell you, and even the Department of Corrections will tell you is violence goes up during the summer," Brandes said. "It’s not just the heat, it’s the violence that goes along with the heat because people are more irritated, they’re agitated, and they’re set off easier. And that means more trips to the emergency rooms.”
Brandes is also concerned about the number of elderly people in Florida prisons.
Now he’s calling for the governor and state leaders to come experience the conditions for themselves.
“This is the perfect week for legislators to get out there, a perfect week for them to see what people feel like in the prisons," Brandes said. "Let me tell you, when you walk into those dorms and it’s hotter on the inside than it is outside – and it’s 100 degrees outside – you really have to wonder what we’re doing.”
Brandes points out that in the Dade Correctional Institution, which houses more than 1,500 men, at least four have died from heat-related causes in the last four years in that one facility alone.
Brandes also says Florida needs a commission focused on improving state prisons. He says the infrastructure of Florida’s prisons is falling apart and its workforce of correctional officers is in crisis. He points to a 2023 report showing an urgent need for 2.2 billion dollars in capital improvements and the hiring of thousands of employees.
“The legislature will probably spend only 4 or 5 hours – collectively – between the House and the Senate talking about prisons this entire year," Brandes said. "And that’s not nearly enough time. You need a dedicated body that’s focusing on this problem, that’s looking for long-term solutions, that’s talking about how we’re going to re-site facilities, what upgrades need to be made to existing facilities. Are these facilities even viable in their current location?”
Meanwhile, two current Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the state Department of Corrections Friday, demanding that officials install air conditioners in all Florida prisons.
