Extra fans, water, ice in use at 18 Virginia prisons without A/C

With temperatures reaching triple digits in the Commonwealth this weekend, the Virginia Department of Corrections reports it “has protocols in place to protect offenders and staff in facilities without climate control air conditioning.

According to a DOC news release, 18 facilities designed and built without climate control air conditioning are still in use by the VADOC.  Within these facilities, staff has installed additional fans to keep housing units as comfortable as possible.  In addition, extra ice and water are available to help everyone remain hydrated in the elevated temperatures. 

All other VADOC facilities have climate control air conditioning; most were constructed after 1990.  Three of the department’s larger facilities built prior to 1990 have been retrofitted with climate control air conditioning, the news release said.

Thus far, none of the facilities equipped with climate control air conditioning systems have experienced any major disruptions during the extreme heat, according to the DOC.