Extreme Temperatures Injustice in Prisons Act of 2026

Key Points

• The Bureau of Prisons would have 5 years to install or fix heating and air conditioning in every federal prison, plus put temperature sensors in every cell and shared space.
• Prisons must give inmates free cooling supplies like water bottles, fans, and cooling towels during heat waves, and free blankets and winter clothing during cold snaps, whenever indoor temperatures hit dangerous levels.
• The CDC must study how extreme heat and cold affect incarcerated people, especially elderly, pregnant, or medically vulnerable inmates, and help the Bureau of Prisons write new safety rules based on that research.
• Prison staff must be trained every season to spot heat and cold related illness, and the Bureau of Prisons has to keep electronic records proving that training happened.
• The government would report to Congress every year on temperature related illnesses, injuries, and deaths among vulnerable prisoners, and every two years on HVAC costs and progress.