Heat waves expose overcrowding crisis in Europe’s aging prisons
Rising temperatures have led to rising tempers, with a lack of ways to cool down causing more fights among inmates and confrontations with staff.
Orleans, France – As temperatures soared above 37 degrees Celsius, a prisoner in a French jail sought solace by dampening his window bars. Inside France's newer Orleans-Saran prison, built in 2014, 29-year-old Manu stayed confined to his bed, attempting to minimize movement. "You have to cope with it mentally," he explained during a visit from a politician this July.
The journalist who accompanied the visit spoke with over 40 individuals across France, Italy, and Belgium – including inmates, activists, prison officials, doctors, and union representatives. Many of them expressed concern about a crisis within jails, as the intense heat waves this summer have shed light on long-standing issues of overcrowding and outdated infrastructure.
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