Heat strains Vermont prisons as AC upgrades move slowly

Corrections officials say the department has a heat response plan that includes cold drinks, fans, ice buckets and portable air conditioners.

Vermont’s prison system is again facing the effects of extreme summer heat, with officers and incarcerated people in facilities without air conditioning dealing with temperatures that can climb into the triple digits. At the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, the outside temperature reached 96 degrees on Thursday, and sources said conditions inside can become even hotter on severe days.

Corrections officials say the department has a heat response plan that includes cold drinks, fans, ice buckets and portable air conditioners. Even so, the conditions have already caused problems in past summers. Last year, the state employees’ union lodged a workplace safety complaint after several correctional officers were treated for heat stroke.

The heat has also forced the department to change daily routines. Programs, work assignments and recreation time are often shifted to avoid the worst conditions, according to Corrections Commissioner Jon Murad, who said the state is dealing with similar heat-related pressures in other sectors as well.

Lawmakers have been pushing for years to bring climate control to Vermont prisons. Rep. Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, has called for action since 2019 and has described the lack of cooling as a serious humane and security concern. She said high heat can interfere with both staff performance and inmate behavior.

Some progress has been made. Facilities in South Burlington and Rutland now have air conditioning systems. This year, the Legislature approved $10 million to expand cooling at the Springfield prison and at the prison in Newport. Work in Springfield is expected to finish this fall, while the project at the prison in St. Albans is set for completion in 2027. No timeline has been announced yet for the facility in St. Johnsbury.