A new filing in a class-action lawsuit reveals that heat inside a South Florida men’s prison reached a dangerous 119-degree heat index — far above already sweltering outdoor temperatures.
The Florida Justice Institute, a Miami-based nonprofit advocating for incarcerated, homeless, and disabled people, filed the lawsuit last year to protect prisoners at Dade Correctional Institution from what it describes as “deadly” heat. The suit aims to keep indoor heat index levels — a measure combining temperature and humidity — below 88 degrees, a threshold experts say is essential to prevent serious heat-related illness or death.
A new report argues the facility is nowhere near meeting that standard. The study found an average heat index of 98 degrees between May and October, with a peak of 119 degrees.
“We believe the report confirms that the summer heat indexes inside Dade CI are extraordinarily high,” attorneys for the Florida Justice Institute said in a statement. “We’re hopeful that this information can be used to protect the lives and health of people incarcerated there.”
The findings come from a study by Stefano Schiavon, a University of California-Berkeley professor specializing in architectural engineering and thermal comfort. His team placed 31 sensors throughout the prison, each recording temperatures every five minutes.
Long stretches of dangerous heat
Schiavon found long periods with no relief. In one dayroom, the heat index stayed above 88 degrees for 121 consecutive days, above 93 degrees for 35 straight days, and above 98 degrees for nine continuous days. It reached 108 degrees for 34 hours without cooling down.
He noted that the hottest periods frequently occurred at night.
“During daylight hours, it is like a battery that gets charged up by the sun,” Schiavon wrote in his 92-page report. “Even after temperatures cool off outside, the inside of the prison remains extremely hot as the building slowly discharges its heat.”
The Florida Department of Corrections declined to comment on the lawsuit but said some housing units have air conditioning for “the most vulnerable inmate populations,” including incarcerated people who are mentally ill, pregnant, or elderly.
The agency said staff receive heat-related safety training and that materials are circulated to help them recognize signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The FDC also noted that many of its older facilities were built before air conditioning and instead rely on passive ventilation, supplemented by industrial fans, exhaust systems, and mounted circulation fans. However, Schiavon described the ceiling fans as small, about 48–60 inches, and said they “do not produce enough air” to cool the area effectively.
Lawsuit links heat to four deaths
Attorneys point to several deaths they believe were caused by extreme heat. One case involved a 74-year-old man with hypertension, referred to as C.G. He slept in a crowded room with about 80 men. In July 2023, he woke up sweating heavily and confused, according to prisoners who spoke with attorneys. As temperatures rose, he worsened. His last reported words were, “Man, it’s so hot in here.” He died around 8 a.m.
C.G. was one of the older men incarcerated at Dade Correctional, where more than half of prisoners are over 50 and nearly a quarter are over 65. The plaintiffs — Dwayne Wilson, 66; Tyrone Harris, 54; and Gary Wheeler, 65 — all take medications for conditions like hypertension, depression, and epilepsy, which experts say can heighten heat sensitivity.
The FDC does not track heat-related deaths. Instead, deaths are listed as homicide, suicide, accident, or natural causes.
Other states have faced similar challenges. In 2018, a judge ruled that extreme heat in a Texas prison amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The Texas prison system later settled after a $7 million legal fight, ensuring one housing area in the Wallace Pack Unit stayed below an 88-degree heat index.
The Florida case is scheduled for trial in July 2026.
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