Willie Myers did everything he could to stay cool during summers at Osborn Correctional Institution.
Myers was incarcerated for more than a decade at Osborn, a medium security prison in Somers that has one of the largest inmate populations in the state.
More than 1,100 people are currently incarcerated at the facility, which is among the oldest prisons in Connecticut. And while most Connecticut prisons have air conditioning, Osborn lacks a central cooling system. The prison has air conditioning only in its medical unit and school area.
“We'd have to try to manage the heat by pouring cold water over your head in cells," Myers said. "And so you would have to strip down, basically buck naked.”
Prisons are primarily constructed with materials such as metal, brick and concrete, all of which conduct heat, and can lead to higher indoor temperatures.
With Connecticut experiencing bouts of extreme heat over this summer, staff from the Department of Correction have been providing ice water, fans, and industrial-sized misting units at Osborn, according to DOC spokesperson Andrius Banevicius.
Banevicius said correctional and medical staff are monitoring people for heat-related issues, and that an ongoing renovation project, replacing windows at the facility, will help regulate the building’s climate year round.
"In addition to the assigned staff within the housing units, supervisors at the facility tour the units on a regular basis to ensure water and ice are replenished as needed, and that fans are working properly," Banevicius wrote in an email.
But some say the state could be doing more. Rajean Rogers, who is currently incarcerated at Osborn, said he's been sweating in bed at night, making it difficult to sleep. And during recreation time, it's better to conserve energy than exercise because of the heat, Rogers said.
People incarcerated at Osborn also told Connecticut Public this week there’s not enough ice water. And two said misting units are pointed only at correctional staff.
Bridgeport and Hartford correctional centers also have some areas that don’t have a centralized cooling system. In July, the State Bond Commission approved $25 million in funding to install HVAC systems in the portions of those facilities that aren't currently air conditioned.
State Sen. Gary Winfield, a New Haven Democrat, said the effect of hot weather inside Osborn is a persistent problem. He stressed the importance of filling a newly-created correctional ombuds position, which remains vacant. The person picked for the job will help draw attention to conditions inside prison facilities, he said.
“We should be doing everything in our power to make sure that the conditions they are in are actually habitable," Winfield said.
Myers said corrections officials need to think more about the circumstances at Osborn.
“We're in a heat box," he said, "and no one's speaking about, you know, what about the inmates? What about the individuals that are incarcerated at these old prisons that have been built over 60-something years ago?”
