Connect with us

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Inmate advocates work to air-condition some Florida prisons this session

Published

4 months ago

on

floridaphoenix.com – Mitch Perry – 2025-04-04 16:53:00

by Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
April 4, 2025

Extreme heat at a Miami-area prison without air conditioning has subjected prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment, according to a federal lawsuit filed in October by the Florida Justice Institute.

Nearly three quarters of Florida prisons lack air-conditioning, and that isn’t going to be resolved during the sitting legislative session. But a pilot program proposed in the pending Florida Senate’s budget bill would provide much-needed cooling in wings of several South Florida correction facilities that provide re-entry programs for inmates.

Specifically, the $300,000 appropriation would go towards air conditioning units in dorm rooms of institutions where Horizon Communities Corp. provides its Faith & Character program, which teaches basic life skills and faith principles to inmates in several prisons in Miami-Dade County.

The idea started with prison rights advocate Connie Edson, who has worked for five years to try to give inmates relief from the scorching Florida temperatures.

In 2022, she teamed with Gainesville Democratic Rep. Yvette Hinson to implement a pilot program that tested large portable evaporative coolers at Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, Florida’s largest state prison. The project ultimately ended, with Department Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon telling a legislative committee in fall 2023 that they weren’t the solution.

“These portable units and some band-aid approaches we’ve tried … even the [inmate] population doesn’t like them,” he said, referring to the noise and moisture that they create.

But that hasn’t discouraged Edson, and over the past year she connected with Horizon executive director Nathan Schaidt to work with legislators on creating air-conditioning units in the dorms where Horizon provides instruction. The appropriation was offered by Miami-Dade Republican Ana Maria Rodriguez in the Senate and Republican Jim Mooney in the House, who represents Florida’s southernmost district encompassing parts of Miami-Dade and all of the Keys.

Older volunteers

Horizon relies heavily on volunteers who average between 60 and 80 years of age and who could contribute more if it weren’t so hot in those facilities, Schaidt said.

“The issue is that we don’t do that work in the chapel, we don’t do our work in education, we go down to the dorm where the men and women live. And so when you start hitting the summer months, a lot of our volunteers, they have to bow out. They can’t go and sit for two hours in that heat trying to teach these classes,” he said.

Schaidt compares what takes place on a regular basis at least eight months of the year to a college class in which the air-conditioning was broken on a specific day.

“What would they do?” he asks.”They’re probably going to cancel class. It’s very unlikely that they’re going to say, ‘Well, you paid for this and you need to sit through here, even though it’s a one-day thing and we’re working on the air conditioning but you need to be in class today.’

“We don’t have that option. They’re going to be there. And this isn’t just classes, this is their daily life, right? The issue we run into is, if you add to their inability to regulate their emotions to their inability to focus, their inability to sometimes learn and just the basic environment. Now add to that the heat. It’s a battle. It’s something that you’re fighting with over and over again.”

Since it was created in 1999, Schaidt said, Horizon has worked with thousands of men and women who have subsequently left the Florida prison system and boasts of a 5% recidivist rate. He says that if those inmates could study in a more comfortable environment with air-conditioning, those numbers might be even better.

Meanwhile, Edson has her fingers crossed that what she considers a relatively modest proposal will make it over the finish line when lawmakers unveil their 2025-2026 FY budget later this month.

A report by the global consulting firm KPMG that was released in the fall of 2023 put the costs to add air-conditioning to all of the state’s prisons at $582 million.

YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

SUPPORT

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

The post Inmate advocates work to air-condition some Florida prisons this session appeared first on floridaphoenix.com

Related Topics:

News from the South - Florida News Feed

DeSantis responds to Orange County mayor on removal of undocumented migrants

Published

10 hours ago

on

August 1, 2025

By

www.abcactionnews.com – Rebekah Nelson – 2025-08-01 11:59:00

SUMMARY: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defended immigration enforcement efforts after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings initially refused to sign the 287(g) agreement allowing local law enforcement to assist ICE. Demings later signed an updated version addressing civil rights and local responsibilities, pending county board approval. Attorney General James Uthmeier praised Demings’ change in position, though Demings criticized Uthmeier for personal attacks. DeSantis stressed the importance of public safety and rule of law and applauded Florida Highway Patrol’s partnership with ICE, promising pay raises for troopers. Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani condemned the initiative as politically motivated and harmful to immigrant communities.

Read the full article

The post DeSantis responds to Orange County mayor on removal of undocumented migrants appeared first on www.abcactionnews.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Kyiv mourns after a Russian attack that killed 31 people, including 5 children

Published

17 hours ago

on

August 1, 2025

By

www.clickorlando.com – Illia Novikov, Associated Press – 2025-08-01 04:13:00

SUMMARY: Kyiv mourned 31 people killed, including five children, in a recent Russian drone and missile attack, the deadliest assault on children in the city since October 2022. Over 150 were injured as a residential building was destroyed and more than 100 buildings damaged. President Zelenskyy reported intensified Russian attacks, citing thousands of bombs and drones launched in July. He urged stronger sanctions against Russia, despite skepticism from U.S. officials. Ukrainian forces are defending the strategic city of Chasiv Yar amid heavy Russian pressure. Russia claims to have downed 60 Ukrainian drones, with minor damage reported near its Belgorod region.

Read the full article

The post Kyiv mourns after a Russian attack that killed 31 people, including 5 children appeared first on www.clickorlando.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Florida is at the center of health care battle as midterms near

Published

1 day ago

on

July 31, 2025

By

www.abcactionnews.com – Forrest Saunders – 2025-07-31 16:16:00

SUMMARY: With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the potential expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies is a critical issue, especially in Florida, where millions could lose coverage. These pandemic-era subsidies lowered premiums and boosted enrollment, but without extension, premiums could rise 75%, pricing out over two million Floridians. Politically, some GOP lawmakers oppose the \$300+ billion cost, while Democrats and new candidates emphasize health care in the election. Florida also faces a Medicaid expansion ballot initiative, needing court approval and signatures. The debate intensifies as voters may ultimately decide the future of health care coverage in the state.

Read the full article

The post Florida is at the center of health care battle as midterms near appeared first on www.abcactionnews.com

Continue Reading

Trending