Most of us can agree that the summer heat can be unbearable at times, but imagine how hot an 8 by 12-foot room with no air conditioning would be. This is the reality for much of America’s incarcerated population. Over 2 million people live in over 6,00 jail and prison facilities across the United States, and they are bearing the brunt of changes in climate. As the average U.S. temperatures is steadily rising, the majority of inmates in correctional facilities still do not have air conditioning in their cells. States including Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana are involved in lawsuits after inmates have suffered from heat related illnesses. Inmates in a St. Louis prison were even captured on video yelling for help in 2017 as temperatures rose above 100 degrees. John Oliver highlights this issue further in a video where he points out how the United Nations Committee on Torture has expressed concern over extreme heat related deaths in Texas. On top of a heat wave, prisons are also faced with an enduring pandemic. Jacqueline Williams, program associate with the committee's Michigan Criminal Justice Program says that "she worries that people in prison are being forced to spend more time in their cells and are being given less time outside because of efforts to keep them distanced as a precaution against COVID-19. Prison is no place for a pandemic, but it’s certainly no place for a pandemic in a heat wave."

It is crucial that human dignity to be restored and protected inside these correctional facilities. One example of an organization striving to do this is Florida Cares, a charity dedicated to bettering the lives of the American prison population through advocacy and legislation. Inspired by Jesus’ mission to liberate those who are imprisoned and provide a chance for redemption and reform, the organization seeks to improve the lives of incarcerated people and their loved ones.

Florida Cares recently launched the Beat the Heat challenge. This campaign challenges people to step into the everyday lives of the incarcerated through an event to raise awareness of the extreme heat conditions that incarcerated people endure in Florida's prisons due to the lack of air conditioning and ventilation. To help bring awareness to conditions of incarceration, Florida Cares developed a replica Florida prison cell (see photos above). Denise Rock, one of the founders of Florida Cares explains that this replica cell “is meant to help people understand the conditions that they [incarcerated population] face….what we found is that it helps people just understand the living environment that people are subject to when they're in prison.” Check out the video below to hear more from Denise Rock.

In July, Justice Seeking Congregation, Allendale United Methodist Church, served as a site for Florida Cares’ Beat the Heat challenge. Allendale UMC Pastor and MFSA Interim Board President, Andy Oliver, explains that Allendale UMC cares because "part of Jesus' ministry was to liberate those who were in prison...prisons aren't meant to be death sentences, yet people are getting killed by the heat conditions especially as our world gets hotter." He goes on to say that "as people who pay taxes and pay for these prisons, it's not okay for us to remain silent while people are suffering." Listen to more of Pastor Andy Oliver’s and Denise Rock’s reflections in the videos below.

Here are some ways to get involved:

1. Those who live in Florida can text “Heat” to 21333 to join the Beat the Heat challenge. You can learn more about Florida Cares by visiting their website.

2. If you don't live in Florida, research local organizations that are working on this in your state and advocate for change with your lawmakers. 

If your church, small group, ministry group, or community is interested in becoming a Justice-Seeking Community, please click the link and check out the JSC Covenant: https://bit.ly/2HUTgA1