As summer temperatures continue to climb into the 90s, inmates say they are having trouble breathing the hot, thick air at the overcrowded Clark County Detention Center in Winchester, where the air conditioning has not been working properly for at least a year.
Allison Tippins, who has a loved one in prison, told the Herald-Leader last week that a 2,800-square-foot dormitory meant to house 10 people is packed with 20 or more people some days.
Inmates sleep on the dirty floor while the inside temperature is nearly 100 degrees, Tippins said. They are prohibited from removing their prison uniforms, which are made of heavy material, she said.
What makes matters worse, Tippins said, is that the shower in the cell has only one water temperature: extremely hot. As a result, the stifling air also becomes steamy when a person bathes, she said.
“It’s not just that it’s uncomfortable there, it’s become dangerous,” Tippins said. “I’m afraid someone will get sick. You’re not supposed to let people live in these conditions.”
A review of inmate grievances obtained by the Herald-Leader under the Kentucky Open Records Act shows similar complaints have been filed with the jailer in the past three months.
“I have asthma and it’s so hot and stuffy I can barely breathe. Can we please get a fan?” wrote one prisoner.
“Tensions are high because of the heat and it’s just too hot,” wrote a second.
“Please, it’s 1000 degrees here,” wrote a third.
“It’s extremely hot in cell 89. They say the air is on but there’s hot air blowing,” a fourth wrote.
“Please turn on the fans, cell 95 is super hot,” wrote a fifth.
Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle did not respond to multiple requests for comment over the past month about living conditions at the jail. That includes Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates.
However, documents obtained by the Herald-Leader through the Open Records Act show that the Clark County Jail has been planning to repair the air conditioning system for at least a year as of June 2023. Invoices show $180,513 due to Fayette Heating and Air of Lexington for Air Conditioner and Fan Repairs from March to May of this year.
State records show the prison opened in 1993.
In a lengthy corrective action plan submitted to the state Department of Corrections, which inspects local jails, Clark County jail officials said in April 2024 that “a new HVAC system would be added within the next three months.”
State inspectors also found overcrowded cells at the jail, which was filled to 127 percent of capacity on a recent weekday, with 198 inmates and only 156 permanent beds.
Overcrowded jails are common in Kentucky, especially jails — like Clark County’s — that are paid to house state prisoners serving felonies, in addition to local inmates awaiting trial or serving short prison sentences for felonies.
Clark County Attorney William Elkins said Friday that he has not personally heard complaints about inmates being too hot in their cells, but he is aware that county officials have been working to repair the jail’s air conditioning since mid-2023 .
It is possible there have been delays in completing the project, although he is unsure what the delays are, Elkins said.
“I really believe the county is doing everything it can,” Elkins said.
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