Florida Prisoners Sue Over Deadly Heat
A group of Florida prisoners held at Dade Correctional Institution near Miami sued the state Department of Corrections (DOC) on October 31, 2024, alleging that sweltering conditions were leading to serious health risks and deaths.
Filed by attorneys with the Florida Justice Institute, the complaint highlighted extreme heat inside the mostly un-air-conditioned prison, particularly in the summer months. Prisoners have reported suffering from heat rash, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In some cases, fatalities have resulted. Andrew Udelsman, one lawyer working on the case, said that prisoners “are cooking,” but “instead of addressing these conditions, [DOC] is letting people suffocate.”
The suit points to several deaths blamed on the heat, including that of a 74-year-old who died in his overcrowded prison dorm. The suit alleges that the prison’s inadequate ventilation system and lack of air conditioning create a dangerous environment, especially for older inmates and those with underlying health conditions.
Named plaintiffs Dwayne Wilson, 66, Tyrone Harris, 54, and Gary Wheeler, 65, are on medications for conditions such as hypertension, depression and epilepsy, which experts say make them more sensitive to the heat. They argue that the current conditions violate their Eighth Amendment rights, which prohibit cruel and unusual punishment. The prisoners are seeking a court order to mandate that the prison maintain temperatures below 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unsurprisingly, the DOC responded with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, noting that the “Constitution does not mandate comfortable prisons.” Incredibly, Defendants cited informational posters they posted about heat-related illnesses as evidence that they “are responding reasonably to the heat-related risks.”
As PLN reported, an outside study commissioned by the DOC recommended allocating $582 million to fully air condition state lockups, but it was met with scoffs when presented to state lawmakers in November 2023—even though it would go a long way toward improving working conditions for guards, whose ranks the DOC is struggling to fill. [See: PLN, June 2024, p.55.]
The case remains pending and PLN will share further reports as it develops. See: Wilson v. Dixon, USDC (S.D. Fla.), Case No. 1:24-cv-24253.
Additional source: Miami Herald
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Related legal case
Turner v. Long
| Year | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cite | 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 14881 (6th Cir. 2024) |
| Level | Court of Appeals |
| Conclusion | Bench Verdict |