GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Hot temps outside mean hot temps inside for many women locked up at Perryville prison.
Arizona’s Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry admitted some of their cooling systems failed when temperatures hit that record high 118 degrees over the weekend in the Valley.
The 12News I-Team heard from eight women currently incarcerated at the state prison complex who expressed similar complaints about extreme heat, broken AC, inadequate swamp coolers and some women saying their cells were hitting more than 100 degrees.
One woman wrote in her email that the cells were like "concrete coffins." Another woman told 12News she had to be treated for heat exhaustion on Monday after passing out.
In an email Monday night, the Arizona Department of Corrections stated that some of the AC systems and evaporative coolers, or swamp coolers, experienced issues over the weekend, but also stated the issues were all fixed over the weekend.
The corrections spokesperson wrote that two units on site, that house nearly 1,300 women, only have the swamp coolers, not AC. The spokesperson added that when temps go above 115 degrees and it gets humid like it did this weekend, conditions are "not optimal."
The spokesperson said that the average temperature in cells during the heatwave is 85 degrees and sent a follow-up email Tuesday night detailing the following:
It is important to note that as soon as it was discovered that the evaporative coolers were not working, the inmates were moved into AC-cooled locations. The inmates remained in those areas until the evaporative coolers were fixed and the temperatures cooled in the units.
The highest temperatures recorded when the evaporative coolers were down and being repaired were as follows:
· For San Carlos Unit the highest reading was 91 degrees. As noted above, the inmates in San Carlos, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Units were moved to A/C cooled locations until repairs were made and the temperatures were reduced.
· For Santa Cruz Unit, the highest reading was 98 degrees.
· For Santa Rosa Unit (one DES Classroom), the highest reading was 81.
DOC says it takes temperature checks twice a day inside the cells.
While temperatures are this hot, the spokesperson said the prison has a heat mitigation plan where inmates are being offered extra showers and cool-off time in the visitation area.
"Several of the units in Perryville, I’ve been in them before," said Corene Kendrick, Deputy Director of the ACLU's National Prison Project. "They’re basically giant metal sheds."
Kendrick, who is currently fighting a lawsuit that started in 2012 against Arizona's Department of Corrections over prison healthcare concerns. She said she's been inside Perryville several times.
"The swamp coolers do not provide the cooling that you need," Kendrick said.
Despite the ADCRR spokesperson saying the cooling systems that had issues were fixed, many women told 12News that there were still issues on Monday and Tuesday, some saying they felt they couldn't escape the heat.
When the I-Team shot video outside Perryville Tuesday morning, inmates were outside in triple-digit temperatures. Some were sitting in an area with a tent that appeared to provide shade. Other women appeared to be part of a work crew.
"People who are in prison, they can’t go to a cooling center," Kendrick stated. "AC is not a luxury. AC is a lifesaver."
The state allocated spending for upgrades at Perryville in the latest budget.
State contract documents from May 2023 show the state picked a vendor to deliver two AC units to Perryville by June 30, 2023.
Over email, the corrections spokesperson said that didn’t happen and that they’d have to order new ones – a project they expect to finish next year.
But when the I-Team talked with the manager at the vendor over the phone, he said that the units were delivered on June 5th, 2023 and that the state paid for them.
In an email Tuesday night, the Department clarified that two air conditioners were delivered and installed in June. They tried to order two additional air conditioners, but had to wait until the next fiscal year.
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