Pennsylvania's aging prisons weren't built for today's extreme weather—leaving women and seniors at risk

Pennsylvania's outdated prisons are ill-equipped to handle extreme weather, leaving vulnerable inmates at risk. During heat waves exceeding 103°F (39°C) and freezing temperatures plunging to -9°F (-23°C), locked-up individuals cannot simply adjust the air conditioning or seek public warming centers. This issue has been a long-standing concern among advocates and local media, who have warned of the dangers posed by such extreme temperatures in Pennsylvania's state prisons.

Conditions have been described as a sauna in summer and bitterly cold in winter, exacerbated by malfunctioning heating systems.

A recent study published in Nature Communications found that extreme temperatures in Pennsylvania prisons are linked to higher rates of deaths, infirmary admissions, and transfers to external medical facilities among incarcerated individuals over the past two decades. The paper's authors, led by Jaquelyn L. Jahn, argue that while these hazards are not unique to Pennsylvania, the state's large prison population and aging prison facilities make it particularly vulnerable.

Most of Pennsylvania's state prison facilities were constructed in the 1990s or earlier, before extreme weather patterns became prevalent. Some institutions, such as those in Cambridge Springs, Dallas, Laurel Highlands, Muncy, Waymart, and Huntingdon, have limited or no air conditioning. The combination of staffing shortages, older prison facilities, and the increasing age of the prison population exacerbates the health risks faced by inmates.

As the climate continues to intensify, the demands on prison operations and health care systems will only grow. The research suggests that addressing these challenges requires climate resilience planning, improvements in prison conditions, and policy efforts to reduce the number of incarcerated individuals, particularly older adults.