California exempts prisons from workplace heat protections despite risks to inmates

California prisons are excluded from new indoor heat regulations, raising concerns as extreme heat poses a growing risk to incarcerated workers.

Hilary Beaumont reports for Capital & Main.

In short:

• Many California prisons, built in hot areas without air conditioning, expose inmates to severe heat during work, risking illness and death.
• New state heat regulations exclude prisons due to cost concerns, though advocates urge immediate protections for inmates.
• Proposition 6, a November ballot measure, seeks to end forced prison labor and related punishments.

Key quote:

“It’s all about restoring human decency and monetizing rehabilitation over exploitation.”

— Lawrence Cox, advocacy and organizing associate, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Why this matters:

Inmates face growing dangers from heat as climate change worsens. Without proper workplace protections, health risks and deaths will likely rise in already overheated prisons. Forced labor under unsafe conditions raises legal and ethical concerns.