Florida

Florida prisoners file federal lawsuit over deadly heat with no A/C

Published

3 months ago

October 31, 2024

Florida prisoners file federal lawsuit over deadly heat with no A/C

Stifling heat at a Miami-area concrete prison without air conditioning contributed to four deaths and subjected prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.

Three Dade Correctional Institution prisoners, represented by the Florida Justice Institute, said in the class-action suit that the state facility’s heat index surpasses 100 degrees in the summer. Prisoners are “routinely treated” in the infirmary for heat rashes, heat exhaustion and related illnesses, the lawsuit said, before they are returned to the “dangerously hot conditions” that sickened them.

Florida Justice Institute attorney Andrew Udelsman told USA TODAY the nonprofit law firm has received a rising number of prison heat complaints over the last decade.

“In Miami-Dade County, it’s considered cruelty to animals to leave a dog in a parked car in the summer,” Udelsman said. “And here, basically, (the Florida Department of Corrections) is incarcerating at this prison 1,300 people in these concrete boxes all summer along, and basically ignoring their pleas for relief.”

The Dade Correctional Institution and Florida Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment.

The lawsuit comes as meteorologists warn of abnormally hot temperatures across the globe. In the hottest summer on record this year, researchers said people in prison were made especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses – or death – in confined spaces often with no air conditioning.

A recent study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found more than 98% of prisons in the United States experienced at least ten days that were hotter than every previous summer, with the worst of the heat-exposed prisons concentrated in the Southwest.

Lawsuit alleges grueling prison conditions in summer heat

According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, most men in the 28-year-old prison suffer from at least one form of heat-related illness during the summer.

“Some have died of heat stroke or heart-related conditions that were exacerbated by prolonged exposure to extreme heat,” the complaint said.

The only air conditioning is in the officers’ control rooms, and plaintiffs said guards stationed in the dining area will rush prisoners to eat so they can return to the cooled spaces.

In a desperate attempt to escape the heat, the lawsuit said many prisoners wet their sheets and sleep on the concrete floor.

People in solitary confinement spend about 23 hours a day in hot, badly ventilated cells that are smaller than an average parking space, where they sleep, eat and use the toilet, according to the complaint. They are allowed a limited number of showers a week.

One person who spent months in confinement bathed himself with toilet water at night because it was cooler than the sink water, the complaint said.

The lawsuit comes after a disappointing legislative session in Florida for prison reform advocates. State lawmakers declined to consider several bills aimed at improving prison conditions, including legislation that would have made air-conditioning mandatory in every housing unit in all of Florida’s correctional institutions.

Extreme heat contributed to deaths in prison, lawsuit says

The lawsuit alleges that heat played a role in four deaths and the toll could rise as more information comes to light, Udelsman told USA TODAY.

One prisoner, identified as “J.B.” in the lawsuit, had complained for weeks of chest pains and difficulty breathing, the lawsuit said. The 81-year-old man was in a wheelchair, so he was assigned to a one-person cell, which had poor ventilation.

On Sept. 20, plaintiff Dwayne Wilson said he heard J.B. hollering for help from the cell. Wilson found him lying on the floor and gasping for breath, so he alerted a guard to the medical emergency, and J.B. was given breathing treatment before he was ordered back to his cell.

“The medical staff accused J.B. of coming to the air-conditioned infirmary simply to get out of the heat,” the complaint said. “Prisoners attempted to advocate on J.B.’s behalf, telling medical staff and officers that he was very ill.”

J.B. was found dead in his cell on Sept. 24. Court filings said the heat index reached 104 degrees that day – within the National Weather Service’s “danger” zone – and the exhaust fans in his cell were not working.

“It is likely that prolonged exposure to the hot, unventilated air at (Dade Correctional Institution) contributed to J.B.’s death,” the lawsuit said.

Plaintiffs say they fell sick from heat

The three plaintiffs named in Thursday’s lawsuit all said that they fell sick from heat in the prison this summer and “have exhausted all available administrative remedies.”

Wilson, 66, in August fainted in his dormitory on a day the heat index reached 100 degrees, according to the complaint. He was carried to a medical unit and administered an IV, and a healthcare provider told him to “stay as cool as possible.”

Another plaintiff, 54-year-old Tyrone Harris, said in the lawsuit that he had to be taken to the medical unit for a one-hour breathing treatment two to three times a week this summer. Harris has asthma and takes medication for high-blood pressure and cholesterol, which make him more susceptible to heat illness, the lawsuit said. He often gets heat cramps, heat rashes and feels lightheaded.

Court filings noted Dade Correctional Institution’s population is especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion as more than half are over the age of 50 and nearly 25% are over 65. Many prisoners have medical conditions or disabilities that increase susceptibility to heat illness.

Majority of US prisons don’t have universal A/C

A USA TODAY analysis in 2022 found at least 44 states did not universally air-condition their prisons and only one – Tennessee – said it was fully air-conditioned.

In Florida, about 24% of state prison housing units are air-conditioned, corrections department spokesperson Molly Best previously told USA TODAY. Fans and exhaust systems are used in lieu of A/C units.

People in prisons often face especially dire conditions when extreme heat hits as facilities are ill-equipped for blazing temperatures. And while some states aren’t typically known for oppressive heat, experts said they should be prepared for the realities of a changing climate.

“A lot of these prisons were not built to be comfortable or humane in the first place,” said Ufuoma Ovienmhada, lead author of the MIT study on prison heat. “Climate change is just aggravating the fact that prisons are not designed to enable incarcerated populations to moderate their own exposure to environmental risk factors such as extreme heat.”

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Javier Zarracina, Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY; Elena Barrera, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida

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Florida

Were any Florida ice skaters on the Washington DC plane that crashed? What we know

Published

10 hours ago

January 30, 2025

Press Room

Were any Florida ice skaters on the Washington DC plane that crashed? What we know

On Wednesday night, the unthinkable happened when a passenger plane with 60 passengers and four crewmembers aboard crashed into an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the frigid Potomac River.

American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair just before 9 p.m. with the Blackhawk helicopter, which was carrying three people. Officials announced Thursday morning that they believe there were no survivors and 28 bodies have been found so far in the massive search effort, complicated by the river’s near-freezing water and low visibility.

Among the people on board the plane were a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, according to a statement from U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s American governing body. Some skaters competing at the event had Florida ties.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. A group of Russian figure skaters and other Russian nationals were also on board and Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that renowned Russian figure skaters Evgenia and Vadim Naumov, 1994 world pairs champions, were traveling as coaches.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the most prestigious event for American figure skating and the final event before the World Championships, were held in Wichita from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, awarding national championships in four categories — Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance — in junior and senior levels. According to U.S. Figure Skating, nearly 150 up-and-coming athletes stayed after the event for the National Development Team, an advanced training program for young skaters held Monday and Tuesday.

These are the current U.S. skaters with Florida ties.

Timmy Chapman, 24, of Orlando

Partnered with Ellie Korytek of Los Angeles, California. They began their partnership in March 2022. They were the U.S. junior champions in 2023 and 1st in the 2025 U.S. Pairs Final.

Korylek and Chapman competed in the Senior Pairs competition of the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita, and came in 7th, earning a score of 57.54.

It is not yet known if either skater was on the flight.

Valentina Plazas, 24, of Pembroke Pines and Maximiliano Fernandez, 29, of Miami

Teamed up in May 2020, Plazas (born in Bogota, Colombia) and Fernandez (born in Hialeah, Florida) were the first U.S. pairs team with both partners of Latin descent to compete in the World Championships. They were 14th in that, 3rd in the 2024 U.S. Championships, 2nd in the 2023 Golden Spin of Zagreb and 5th in the 2023 U.S. Championships, among others.

Plazas and Fernandez did not compete in the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita. Both skaters have posted messages on social media about the flight.

“My heart breaks for the skating community right now,” Plazas posted on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday morning. “The moment i heard i only imagined all the athletes and families coming back from the camp. This is a shock to the system”

Fernandez can also be marked safe. He posted “Prayers to all those on Flight 5342” last night, and “Just devastating. Praying for everyone who was on board” Thursday morning.

Annabelle Morozov and Jeffrey Chen trained in Estero

Morozov, 23, and Chen, 22, are from New York City and Fremont, California, respectively, but they trained in Estero.

They began their partnership in May 2024 and were 1st in the 2025 U.S. Ice Dance Final and 2nd in the 2024 Lombardia Trophy.

Morozov and Chen competed in the Senior Ice Dance competition of the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita, and came in 10th.

Has there ever been a similar tragedy in the figure skating community?

On Feb. 15, 1961, a plane carrying the U.S. national team U.S. national team to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia crashed en route from New York City, USA to Brussels, Belgium. 72 people were killed.

The U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund was established to offer skating and academic scholarships to promising members of the national figure skating community in tribute to the lives lost in the crash.

(This story was updated with new information.)

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Drew Doughty returns, but slumping Kings lose to Florida

Published

21 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Press Room

Drew Doughty returns, but slumping Kings lose to Florida

SUNRISE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots for his second shutout of the season, and the Florida Panthers beat the Kings 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who entered the game a point back of Toronto for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Bobrovsky got his 46th career shutout.

It was the second time in eight days the teams played each other. The Kings beat the Panthers 2-1 in Los Angeles last Wednesday.

Veteran Kings defenseman Drew Doughty played about 24 minutes in his season debut after missing the first 47 games with a broken ankle suffered during the preseason.

Darcy Kuemper made 36 saves for the Kings, who have lost three straight and seven of their last 10 games. Eight of those games have been played on the road.

Tkachuk recorded his seventh multi-assist game of the season. He’s up to 31 assists on the season.

Key moment

Barkov doubled Florida’s lead during a five-on-three power play 4:43 into the third. That was his 16th point on the man-advantage this season.

Key stat

Dmitry Kulikov’s assist in the first period came during his 1,000th career game. He’s the 13th Panthers player and 402nd skater in NHL history to hit that mark.

Up Next

The Kings play at Tampa Bay on Thursday, and the Panthers host Chicago on Saturday.

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Florida Cold Stuns Sea Turtles | Weather.com

Published

1 day ago

January 29, 2025

Press Room

Florida Cold Stuns Sea Turtles | Weather.com

This cold-stunned sea turtle is one of 100 brought to the University of Florida Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Lab in St. Augustine, Florida, amid frigid weather from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26, 2025.
(UF Turtle Hospital via Facebook.)

Cold-stunned sea turtles can become lethargic and unable to swim.
It can happen when water temperatures drop into the low 50s.
Dozens were rescued amid a winter storm and cold that hit Florida.

People weren’t the only ones feeling the chill during a recent winter storm that froze parts of the Sunshine State.

Dozens of cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued after temperatures plunged.

An ‘exhausting and relentless’ five days:

In one case, two officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, rushed to pull 30 turtles from the waters around Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle.

In another, the University of Florida Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Laboratory received 100 patients from Jan. 22 through Jan. 26. The facility is located in St. Augustine, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.

“Our hospital shifted into full emergency mode to triage cold-stunned green sea turtles,” a social media post from the lab read, calling the mission “exhausting and relentless.”

Each morning, FWC personnel arrived to take the turtles to other facilities in order to make room for more.

The lab noted the uptick in rescues was expected based on the weather forecast.

Cold water is dangerous for sea turtles:

Winter Storm Enzo brought frigid air into the Southeast, causing the northern Gulf Coast of Florida to reach lows well below freezing. When the water temperatures drop even as low as the 50s, sea turtles are susceptible to becoming “cold-stunned,” weather.com digital meteorologist Sara Tonks, who also holds a masters in marine science, said Wednesday.

When that happens, they can become lethargic and unable to swim.

“When a turtle becomes cold-stunned, the most important thing is to get the turtle out of the cold water as quickly as possible,” Tonks said. “Rescue teams have to act fast to get as many turtles into controlled environments so that they can be safely warmed back up.”

The turtles rescued following Winter Storm Enzo were taken to facilities where trained sea turtle veterinarians can take care of them until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild.

Winter Storm Enzo was historic for Florida:

The state’s all-time 24-hour snowfall record was shattered when more than 9 inches of snow was measured on Jan. 22 in the Florida Panhandle town of Milton. The previous record was 4 inches set in 1954 in the same area.

Beaches were covered in snow, as was Interstate 10, the main east-west corridor across North Florida.

Nearly half of the state’s 67 school districts were shut down for at least one day because of the storm. Some were closed for the entire week.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

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Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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