City Limits – A DOC spokesperson told City Limits the agency monitors water temperatures at its facilities. The agency did not respond to queries about how many AC outages its jails have experienced so far this season.

On July 14, members of the City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC), including Councilmember Shahana Hanif who oversees District 39, toured parts of RNDC, which houses adolescent and adult men.

During the visit, which was coordinated with the DOC, Hanif said it was extremely hot and that it wasn’t clear if people held there were receiving ice and water. 

In the protective custody unit Hanif visited, she noticed only one big fan at the end of the hallway, contradicting DOC’s heat plan, which says spaces without AC must have at least two fans provided. 

“I felt like I was in a sauna,” said Hanif. “Just dripping in sweat.” [Read More]