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| Judge orders air conditioning at toughest prison |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 12/08/2003 |
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A federal judge has ruled the state must air-condition the cells at Wisconsin's toughest prison in time for the first heat wave of 2004. State officials have estimated it would cost $700,000 to install air conditioning at the prison. The decision from U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb also directs the Department of Corrections to report twice monthly on the progress of building an outdoor recreation facility for inmates at the prison formerly known as Supermax. Crabb made her ruling two weeks ago after holding a hearing on whether the state is complying with the 2002 court settlement it reached with inmates. Attorney Ed Garvey asked Crabb in October to direct the Corrections Department to comply with the terms of the settlement. The prison in Boscobel, now renamed the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility, was designed to house the state's most hardened criminals. Former Gov. Scott McCallum reached an agreement with inmates last year to end the lawsuit they filed over living conditions at the prison. The settlement promised to change the name, build outdoor exercise areas and expand face-to-face visits with friends and family members. It also requires that cells be no hotter than 80 to 84 degrees during heat waves. The agency supplied prisoners with ice chips, shorts and cool showers last summer. Crabb said while those efforts may alleviate the effects of high temperatures, they do not meet the requirements of the agreement. Corrections spokesman Bill Clausius said prison officials have not decided whether to appeal Crabb's order. |
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