Pennsylvania’s aging prisons weren’t built for today’s extreme weather – leaving women and seniors especially at risk of illness and death

Extreme hot and cold temperatures are associated with higher rates of deaths, infirmary admissions and transfers to external medical facilities, researchers found.

By: Jaquelyn Jahn, Drexel University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 16, 2026

Words: 1,015

Last Updated: 13 hours, 43 minutes ago

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By Jaquelyn Jahn, Drexel University

When outdoor temperatures spike to 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), or drop to -9 F (-23 C), like they did across Pennsylvania last year, people locked up in jails and prisons cannot simply turn on the air conditioning or find a public warming center.

For several years, people in custody, advocates and local media have sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by extreme temperatures in Pennsylvania’s state prisons. …

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