Prisons are mostly built from heat-retaining materials which can increase internal prison temperatures. The structure of prisons and prison life can also make incarcerated people more vulnerable to heat. 19% are taking medication for high blood pressure.21% are prescribed psychotropic medications.In Texas, a state that has air conditioning in all inmate housing areas in only 30 of its 109 prisons, a high percentage of incarcerated people are particularly vulnerable to heat: Old age also increases risk of heat-related illness, and respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, such as asthma, are exacerbated by heat. Conditions such as diabetes and obesity can limit people’s ability to regulate their body heat, as can high blood pressure medications and most psychotropic medications (including Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, and more but excluding the benzodiazepines). Many people in prison are especially susceptible to heat-related illness, as they have certain health conditions or medications that make them especially vulnerable to the heat. It can also affect people’s kidneys, liver, heart, brain, and lungs, which can lead to renal failure, heart attack, and stroke. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can cause dehydration and heat stroke, both of which can be fatal. The lack of air conditioning in Southern prisons creates unsafe-even lethal-conditions. While there are no national statistics on air conditioning in prison, we found that at least 13 states in the hottest regions of the country lack universal air conditioning in their prisons:įor more information on these states, see the appendix. 13 famously hot states lack universal A/C in their prisons
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |