by Michael Lyle, Nevada Current
As record-breaking heat waves cripple the West, air conditioning units and swamp coolers have malfunctioned or stopped working in at least three Nevada state corrections facilities.
“We haven’t had air conditioning for at least 45 days,” Leslie Meier, who is incarcerated at Jean Conservation Camp, located about 20 miles outside Las Vegas, told the Current. “I’m a cook, and on the line, it’s at least 150 degrees.”
Whenever those incarcerated submit a grievance, a formal process seeking to resolve an issue, Meier said officials tell them “the part’s on the way, or the part is just purchased, and nobody has come out to fix it.”
Teri Vance, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Corrections, confirmed in an email that High Desert State Prison, located about 30 miles northwest of Las Vegas, along with Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City and Jean Conservation Camp all had issues with cooling units.
Two swamp coolers at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center stopped working Sunday, Vance said. She didn’t specify when High Desert or Jean Conservation Camp first began experiencing problems with their units.
The Current asked if any people have experienced heat-related illnesses in any of the facilities. NDOC didn’t answer.
Corrections officials say they are working to address heat concerns in prisons
Prison advocacy groups warned corrections officials at the June 28 Board of Prison Commissioner meeting that they were receiving “frantic calls” from people incarcerated at High Desert.
NDOC Director James Dzurenda told the board, which includes Gov. Joe Lombardo, Attorney General Aaron Ford and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, there weren’t any health or safety concerns at that time.
He said air conditioning units take a strain during summer months and officials were implementing measures to keep prison units under 85 degrees, the current state standard.
At the time of the June meeting, Southern Nevada had record-breaking temperatures throughout the month with temperatures more than 10 degrees higher than is normally in June, according to the National Weather Service.
Extreme heat persisted in July with Las Vegas reaching 120 degrees, breaking its previous record of 117 degrees.
The Reno-Sparks area also experienced a heat wave with temperatures climbing to 105 degrees.
Vance said there were various factors contributing to why the swamp coolers in two units at High Desert State Prison were no longer working – “hard water becoming corrosive, temperatures reaching so high the coolers are insufficient to combat the heat, and humidity reducing the effectiveness of the coolers.”
She said commercial-sized swamp coolers and industrial fans are scheduled to arrive at the prison this week.
“These measures should mitigate the issues at High Desert State Prison until long-term solutions are found,” Vance said.
She added the temperatures were being monitored daily to ensure they don’t exceed 85 degrees.
“If temperatures approach 85 degrees or become too uncomfortable, offenders will be transferred to open cells throughout the state,” she added. “Cold drinking water and ice will also be provided in units with non-functioning swamp coolers until repairs are completed.”
At Jean Conservation Camp, where the air condition unit in the kitchen stopped working, Vance said “replacement parts have been difficult to source due to the age of the unit.”
The facility is using styrofoam trays during meal service in order to reduce clean up and limit the time workers are in the kitchen.
“Dinner service is being fed in the housing units, which do have air conditioning,” Vance said. “Breakfast will remain in the dining room, as the temperatures are not as hot in the morning as they are in the afternoon and evening.”
One of the swamp coolers that broke Sunday at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center has since been repaired.
Vance said the facility is using evaporative coolers “along with water and ice” in the unit where the other swamp cooler is malfunctioning.
She didn’t say when it is expected to be repaired.
Reporter Dana Gentry contributed to this report.
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