On Thursday, July 8, 2026, U.S. Congresswoman Alma S. Adams of North Carolina and Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia introduced the Extreme Temperature Injustice in Prisons Act. This Act is a continuation of efforts by the Congresspeople to address the practice of subjecting people incarcerated in federal prisons to extreme, life-threatening temperatures. It stems from a 2025 letter of inquiry sent by the Congresspeople to the Federal Bureau of Prisons regarding conditions in their facilities. In their reply, the BOP revealed that nearly 19,000 people incarcerated in their facilities reported heat-related illnesses between January 2022 and September of 2025 alone. More than 40 were diagnosed with heat stroke.
The Prison Policy Initiative provided technical support to the drafters of the bill, and we are proud to endorse this legislation, which takes a much-needed step towards ensuring that people in federal prisons are afforded standardized safe living conditions.
The bill has several provisions designed to set standards, increase oversight, and mitigate harm. Among other things, this Act:
- Authorizes funding for climate control system installation and upgrades in all federal prisons within five years, with temperature monitors in every cell and workspace. Set clear health and safety standards for extreme heat and cold across work, recreational activities, and housing.
- Directs the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to research how extreme temperatures harm incarcerated individuals and staff and develop extra protections for elderly, pregnant, and immunocompromised individuals.
- Provides free cooling and warming supplies — like cold water, fans, warm clothing, and blankets — when temperatures reach dangerous levels.
- Implements accountability measures regarding staff training for recognizing and responding to heat and cold emergencies
- Requires regular public reports on HVAC progress, temperature-related illness and deaths, and annual safety inspections.
As millions across the US face rising temperatures and heat advisories, people in prisons are routinely locked inside without access to air conditioning. Even those who are most vulnerable, like the many in prison with chronic medical issues, the elderly, and pregnant people, are left with few options to mitigate the deadly conditions. Advocates have long sounded the alarm about the dangers of extreme heat and cold temperatures in prisons, which put both individual lives and overall prison safety at extreme risk. No one should be forced to endure these conditions, particularly not those who safety is entrusted to government hands.
We at the Prison Policy Initiative strongly support the Extreme Temperature Injustice in Prisons Act, and applaud these efforts towards recognizing that people in prison are deserving of safe living conditions and basic human decency. A heatwave should not be a death sentence for people in prison.
Read the official press release for the Extreme Temperature Injustice in Prisons Act here. For further information on the need for environmental justice in prisons, consider the following resources:
Recommended Reading:
Advocacy Toolkit
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50 state incarceration profiles
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
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