Every summer, thousands of incarcerated individuals in Indiana suffer in sweltering cells—some reaching temperatures well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) currently operates under an outdated energy policy (Policy 04‑02‑103) that prohibits cooling facilities below 76°F, but provides no protections or emergency thresholds for extreme heat. This policy prioritizes utility savings over human lives.

Let’s be clear: this is not about comfort—it is about survival. Incarcerated individuals, many of whom are elderly, medically vulnerable, or mentally ill, are being exposed to dangerous heat with no assurance of relief. They are locked in small cells, often with poor air circulation, no air conditioning, and minimal access to water or cooling resources.

These are conditions of confinement that violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Courts around the country, including in Texas and Louisiana, have ruled that extreme heat without mitigation can amount to unconstitutional treatment.

Those in our care behind prison walls are already being punished through incarceration—they should not be subject to additional, inhumane suffering caused by preventable environmental neglect. As families, loved ones, advocates, and community members, we refuse to accept heatstroke, dehydration, or death as a consequence of incarceration.

We are calling on the following state leaders and agencies to act:

• Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC)
• Commissioner Lloyd Arnold (responsible for overseeing IDOC policies)
• Indiana Office of Energy Development
• Governor Mike Braun, who holds the power to direct statewide prison standards
• Indiana State Legislature, which must enact legal protections for incarcerated individuals facing life-threatening heat exposure

We demand the following:

1. Immediate policy updates to establish maximum safe indoor temperatures in all Indiana correctional facilities;
2. Mandatory deployment of heat mitigation measures: fans, cold water, medical monitoring, and access to shaded/cool areas during heat waves;
3. Prioritized protections for medically vulnerable populations;
4. Public temperature reporting inside facilities for transparency and accountability.

It is our moral and civic duty to protect the rights and lives of every person in custody or not.

Imagine your loved one locked in a metal cell, struggling to breathe in stifling heat, without a fan, ice, or escape. That is the reality for thousands right now.

This is not a partisan issue. It’s a human one. Decency must not end at the prison gates. Please join us in demanding that Indiana end this practice of cruel neglect and live up to the constitutional and humanitarian standards our state claims to uphold.

Sign this petition and share it widely. Lives depend on it.