News

HEAT SENSITIVITY & HOUSING

Most of the Department’s facilities are partially air-conditioned and one facility is fully air-conditioned. The Department prioritizes housing those individuals clinically designated as heat sensitive by Correctional Health Services (CHS) in housing units with air conditioning. Individuals designated as heat sensitive also have the right to refuse heat-sensitive housing if they so choose - refusals are made in the presence of a medical provider who has explained the risks of refusal to the individual. In a small number of instances, security placement needs may override a heat sensitivity designation. Individuals who are not currently designated heat sensitive but would like CHS to re-evaluate their status can reach out to CHS at any time through the Sick Call Triage Hotline. Anyone who feels unwell as a result of the heat is taken to the clinic for evaluation.

As a matter of policy, the Department works to house heat-sensitive individuals in air-conditioned housing year-round. As of May 25, 2023, the majority of people in Department custody (56%) were housed in air-conditioned housing units;

Of the 1170 persons clinically designated as heat sensitive, 998, or 85.3% were housed in air-conditioned housing units; of the remaining 14.7% or 172 people clinically designated heat sensitive who are not in air-conditioned housing, 35.5% have signed a heat sensitive housing refusal form in the presence of a doctor, 3.5% received Heat Sensitive Override due to the security reasons, and 61% are currently housed in EMTC under New Admission quarantine status.

Unless the Department receives a signed heat-sensitive housing refusal form, the Department’s policy is to house persons clinically designated as heat sensitive in air-conditioned housing, consistent with any current COVID restrictions and with consideration for overall operational security. 

In preparation for Summer 2023, the Department completed the addition of air-conditioning to 37 additional housing units. In total, the Department currently operates 191 air-conditioned housing units. Due to the age of the infrastructure in some of our locations, it’s not possible to add air-conditioning in every facility and housing unit, but the Department is continuing to work to add air-conditioning capacity to housing units and expects to have more air-conditioned housing units available this summer. The Department looks forward to new borough-based jails, which will be designed with climate control features throughout.

TEMPERATURE MONITORING & HIGH-HEAT PROTOCOLS

Staff in every housing area monitor people in custody for signs of heat-related illness. Additionally, CHS is available 24 / 7 to care for any persons who experiencing heat-related symptoms or who wish to clarify their heat sensitivity status.

The Department monitors temperatures inside the medical, mental health, air-conditioned housing area, and restricted housing areas daily. Temperature reports are submitted to the facility Tour Commander, Warden, and the Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Health.

When ambient temperatures exceed 80 degrees in air-conditioned areas, two hour temperature monitoring is initiated, maintenance responds to repair the air conditioning, and heat sensitive individuals are temporarily relocated to an area that is below 80 degrees F. if the AC cannot be repaired in a timely manner.

In non-air-conditioned areas at least two fans are provided, and ice is delivered between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on all days when the outside temperatures reach 85 degrees F.

All individuals are encouraged to take additional rest periods and take cool showers to mitigate any high heat conditions.

One shower station per non air-conditioned housing area is designated as a cool shower station to encourage individuals to take cool showers.

KEEPING PEOPLE COOL

In the summer, all persons in custody are afforded both shorts and t-shirts. As of an audit conducted in June 2023, the Department had 49,000 short sleeve t-shirts and 7,900 shorts in its warehouse inventory, with recurring deliveries of shorts throughout the summer. Summer clothes were distributed the week of May 19, 2023.

Departmental staff are also encouraged to wear their summer uniforms, consisting of short sleeve shirts, in the warmer months to help them stay cool while in the jail facilities.

At least two industrial-sized fans are provided in non-air-conditioned housing units. These fans ensure air continues to circulate throughout the housing area. In addition to the fans the facilities already have in their possession, the Department currently has 449 pedestal fans in its warehouse. Ice is delivered to housing units regularly during the hottest hours of the day and every 2 hours to individuals in housing areas that do not have air-conditioning. Facilities began bagging and storing ice in May 2023 to prepare for the coming hot weather.

In anticipation of the hot weather, our Facility Maintenance and Repair Division has worked to ensure that air conditioners, ice machines, and cool showers are in good working order.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

As the hot weather approaches, the Department will reissue its hot weather protocol to all staff. These important guidelines will be reiterated to staff through roll calls, DOC TV, DOC intranet, and other internal communication channels. The Department will continue to communicate to people in custody about preventative steps they can take to keep cool and avoid heat-related illness through posters, flyers, the sick call triage hotline, and in partnership with Correctional Health Services (CHS).