GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Starting Tuesday, Arizona’s Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry is scaling back its heat relief plan they put in place during the record heat wave this summer, according to a notice posted online.
The notice said that actions will be taken to shift away from the Excessive Heat Safety and Relief Strategy as temperatures begin to drop from the summer's triple digits.
Some of the changes, which are effective Oct. 10, include removing temporary misters from prison yards and charging for bags of ice, which had been free the past few months according to the department. The notice said a "more permanent solution will be explored" when it comes to misting systems.
ADCRR declined to do an interview about the changes this summer and heat relief plans going forward.
Extreme heat in prisons, particularly Perryville women's prison in Goodyear, was the subject of a 12News investigation this summer after the I-Team received several complaints about hot cell temperatures.
Through a records request, the I-Team revealed that some cells at Perryville were getting as hot as 109 degrees in July 2023. The cells most affected by heat were being cooled with ineffective swamp coolers, rather than air conditioners.
The department put out its Excessive Heat Safety and Relief Strategy in July, after the I-Team first started reporting on concerns.
The online notice said the ADCRR will be "shifting our focus to planning and preparing for next summer's temperatures in an effort to prevent unbearable heat situations."
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