Extreme summer heat is exposing severe overcrowding and poor ventilation in prisons across France, Italy, and Belgium.
These conditions create dangerous living environments for both inmates and staff, revealing a systemic failure to modernize aging infrastructure against rising global temperatures.
In Italy, the crisis has reached a breaking point, particularly in the Puglia region. A prison guard union has moved to sue over the conditions, reporting that temperatures inside some facilities have climbed above 50 °C [3]. These internal temperatures far exceed the outside heat, which has soared past 37 °C [1].
The combination of chronic overcrowding and inadequate ventilation means that cells cannot cope with record high temperatures. In some instances, prisoners have resorted to desperate measures to stay cool. A Reuters correspondent said that one prisoner sat in his cell with wet towels draped around his window bars to combat the heat [1].
Similar issues are being reported in France and Belgium, where aging buildings lack the necessary cooling systems to protect occupants. The lack of climate control in these facilities turns overcrowded cells into heat traps, increasing the risk of heat-related illness for those incarcerated.
Prison staff are also affected by the environment, as the lack of ventilation impacts the entire facility. The Italian union's legal action underscores the belief that these conditions have become untenable for those tasked with managing the prisons [3].
Officials have not yet provided a comprehensive plan to retrofit these aging structures. The current crisis highlights a gap between the reality of European prison infrastructure and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
“Temperatures inside some facilities have climbed above 50 °C.”
The intersection of chronic overcrowding and climate change is transforming European prisons into public health risks. Because these facilities rely on aging infrastructure that was not designed for record-breaking heatwaves, the lack of ventilation creates a lethal environment. This situation likely increases the legal vulnerability of member states regarding human rights standards for the treatment of prisoners.
