RE: Urgent—Dangerous Heat Levels in IDOC Facilities
Dear Governor Pritzker,
Uptown People’s Law Center represents clients held in IDOC facilities. In the last month, we have visited individuals incarcerated at Menard, Pontiac, Lawrence, Centralia, and Danville, and have corresponded with many others in other IDOC facilities. We are alarmed by the messages we have received from our clients regarding the excessive heat levels, particularly in IDOC facilities that have high floor galleries.
We have been informed of health crises and deaths resulting from the sweltering conditions inside cells. These conditions are unbearable for all, but particularly harmful to individuals in custody who are elderly or disabled, have cardiac issues, take SSRIs (which increase heat sensitivity), and use CPAP machines (which malfunction at high temperatures).
These conditions are exacerbated by inadequate ventilation systems, the lack of potable water and/or ice, and arbitrary restrictions on the amount of ice (if available at all), the frequency of showers, the size of fans available in-cell, and the number of fans available in common areas. We are particularly disturbed by messages indicating that fans donated from departed prisoners to their peers are being confiscated, and that individuals in custody are prohibited from remaining in areas that have air conditioning and are discouraged from going to the healthcare unit for assistance. Conditions are even more dire for those who are confined to their cells all day—sometimes for multiple days—due to the regular use of administrative lockdowns in IDOC facilities. These policies and practices are a blatant affront to IDOC’s administrative directives and duty to protect the safety and well-being of those in its custody. Indeed, under these conditions, individuals in custody are without the means to lower their internal body temperature and are therefore susceptible to heat-related health incidents.
This issue is particularly urgent due to extreme heat advisories affecting much of Illinois in the coming days. We thus ask that the following actions be taken to alleviate the conditions and prevent further harm to the individuals in your custody:
1. Provide regular access to a sufficient amount of ice.
2. Increase access to showers.
3. Allow individuals in custody to have two 10-inch fans in their cells.
4. Open chuckholes for increased ventilation.
5. Provide bottled water.
6. Ensure that common area fans are functioning and the windows are open.
7. Provide access to air-conditioned spaces or cooling centers.
8. Conduct frequent well-check rounds to prevent or respond promptly to health incidents.
9. Repair inoperable or poorly functioning ventilation systems.
We are also aware that many staff are failing to implement the policies that already exist.
For example, staff often fail to pass out any ice at all even though directives require that ice be passed out four times a day when temperatures reach 85 degrees or more. Thus, in addition to implementing the above changes, it is vital that a system be put in place to ensure staff compliance with institutional directives and administrative directives.
Please confirm that you have received this letter. We would be happy to discuss any questions you have or provide more concrete examples of the hardships our clients are suffering at your convenience. Thank you for your cooperation and prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Nicole Schult
Legal Director
Uptown People’s Law Center
