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A study published in Nature Communications found that extreme hot and cold temperatures were associated with higher rates of deaths and medical care among people in Pennsylvania state prisons over 20 years. Women had larger increases in infirmary visits and outside medical transfers following extremely hot days than men; the researchers say aging facilities and an older prison population add to concerns.
A study of Pennsylvania state prisons found that extremely hot and cold temperatures were associated with higher rates of deaths, infirmary admissions and transfers to outside medical facilities among incarcerated people over a 20-year period. Published in Nature Communications, the research also found that women experienced larger increases in infirmary visits and outside medical transfers after extremely hot days than men, a finding that points to possible differences in climate-related risks inside prisons.
The study, led by epidemiologist Jaquelyn L. Jahn and colleagues, analyzed prison mortality and health care use after periods of extreme ambient temperatures. Its findings put data behind longstanding concerns raised by incarcerated people, advocates and local media about unsafe heat and cold in the facilities. The study reports associations; it does not establish that temperature alone caused each death or medical visit.
Pennsylvania has nearly 40,000 people in state prisons, according to the source report, and the state has the sixth-largest prison population among U.S. states. Many facilities were built in the 1990s or earlier. Some prisons, including facilities at Muncy, Huntingdon and other sites, have air conditioning only in certain buildings or units, rather than throughout the facility. The report says temperatures reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit and fell to minus 9 degrees across Pennsylvania last year.
The analysis found a gender difference in certain outcomes: women saw greater increases in infirmary visits and outside medical transfers on and after extremely hot days than men. The researchers described this as an unexpected result, since prior studies in the general population have not consistently found women to be more vulnerable to heat-related health risks. The study’s prison-specific findings do not, on their own, explain why the difference occurred.
Heat Adds Pressure to Prison Care
The findings matter because prison residents cannot independently leave an overheated or cold building, seek a public cooling or warming center, or arrange outside care. Extreme temperatures can add medical and operational demands to a system already responsible for a population with substantial health needs.
The source report says the average age of people entering Pennsylvania prisons rose from 31 in 2000 to 38 in 2023. It also describes staffing shortages among corrections officers and health care workers, with medical staff vacancy rates reaching nearly 40% at some facilities. Such constraints can affect access to appointments and other services, though the study does not quantify how staffing levels changed its temperature-related results.
Researchers say the combination of aging facilities, an older incarcerated population and intensifying weather calls for attention to prison conditions and health care capacity. The findings are relevant to public officials weighing facility upgrades and climate preparedness, as well as to people living and working in prisons.
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Older Facilities, Older Population
The source report says many Pennsylvania state prisons were built before recent weather patterns became as extreme, and several have partial or limited air conditioning. It describes reports of oppressive indoor heat during summer and severe cold when heating systems fail. Amy McBride, incarcerated at MCI Muncy, told the Prison Journalism Project that in winter she sometimes wore two or three layers of pants and four to six layers of shirts, along with outerwear.
Health needs also shape the issue. The report says people in prison are more likely than the general population to have chronic conditions such as heart disease, while older adults tend to require more care. It cites an average annual medication cost of $3,357 per person for adults over 50 in state prisons, 53% higher than for younger incarcerated adults. Pennsylvania charges a $5 copay for some non-emergency medical visits, while prison wages cited in the report range from 23 to 50 cents an hour.
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Limits of the Temperature Findings
The reported results show associations, not proof of cause. The available source material does not provide effect sizes, detailed methods or facility-by-facility results, so it is not possible here to compare the scale of risk across prisons or temperature ranges. It also does not identify which specific interventions would prevent the observed outcomes.
The reason women had larger increases in some health care outcomes after very hot days remains unclear. The report suggests that menopause symptoms and accelerated aging may be relevant, but these are proposed explanations, not established causes of the gender difference in this analysis. The source material also does not say whether Pennsylvania officials have adopted a new climate plan in response to the study.
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Planning for Future Weather Risks
The researchers argue that climate resilience planning should address prison conditions and health care systems, and include policy efforts to reduce incarceration, particularly among older adults. The source report does not announce a government response, specific construction schedule or funding commitment.
Further decisions may depend on how corrections officials assess building conditions, medical staffing and the needs of people at higher risk during heat or cold. The study’s publication makes the documented associations available to policymakers and prison administrators; whether it leads to facility upgrades or changes in health care planning remains to be seen.
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Key Questions
What did the Pennsylvania prison study find?
It found that extreme heat and cold were associated with higher rates of deaths, infirmary admissions and transfers to outside medical facilities among people in state prisons over 20 years.
What did researchers find about women in prison?
Women experienced larger increases in infirmary visits and transfers to external medical facilities on and after extremely hot days than men. The study finding does not establish why the difference occurred.
Do all Pennsylvania prisons have air conditioning?
No. The source report says some facilities have air conditioning in selected buildings or units, while other areas have limited or no air conditioning.
Does the study prove extreme temperatures caused the deaths and medical visits?
No. It reports associations between extreme temperatures and health outcomes; the findings alone do not prove that temperature caused any individual outcome.
Have Pennsylvania officials announced changes in response?
The source material does not report a new state plan, funding commitment or schedule for prison upgrades. The researchers call for climate resilience planning, but an official response is not provided.
Source: rss
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