Audit of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Management of Temperature Conditions Within California’s Prisons Fact Sheet

Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Shaun Spillane Chief Deputy Inspector General Summary Fact Sheet Independent September 11, 2025 Prison Oversight Audit of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Management of Temperature Conditions Within California’s Prisons (Audit Report № 24–02, September 2025) Introduction of 89 degrees Fahrenheit.1 Based on our review of heat logs maintained at the prisons we sampled California’s climate varies throughout the state due to for our audit, each prison had housing units with its size and diverse geography. The State experiences temperatures that exceeded design guidelines. For a wide range of extreme temperatures. California’s example, we tested 33 housing units at Corcoran, of prisons must contend with several challenges to which 29 had temperatures that fell below 68°F and 23 maintain indoor temperatures that protect the that had temperatures above 89°F. The three prisons incarcerated population from the extremes of heat we reviewed also had heating and cooling systems and cold. In this audit, we reviewed the department’s that were old and in disrepair, and at different times specific policies, procedures, and staff training relative of the year failed to maintain temperatures in housing to the department’s management and maintenance units within the guidelines. This is problematic of temperature conditions in California prisons. We because many California prisons are located in areas focused on how departmental policies and procedures that experience extreme temperatures ranging from ensure the health and safety of the incarcerated temperatures exceeding 100°F to temperatures that population during extreme temperature conditions. fall below 40°F. In addition, we selected three prisons for our audit: California State Prison, Corcoran (Corcoran), In June of 2024, California’s Occupational Safety California State Prison, Lancaster (Lancaster), and and Health Standards Board approved regulations High Desert State Prison (High Desert). For the audit establishing safety measures for most indoor period, August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2024, we workplaces to prevent the risk of heat illness to requested and reviewed documents from the three workers. Although these regulations exempted prisons, prisons we tested that supported the department’s the department is working with the Department of actions relative to the management and maintenance Industrial Relations to establish heat regulations of temperatures in prisons. We also interviewed key within which the department can operate. personnel, conducted on-site observations, reviewed selected documentation, and tested key controls Custody Staff Did Not Consistently Maintain Heat Logs relevant to the audit objectives. as Required by Ongoing Litigation We found that custody staff at the three prisons we Results reviewed did not consistently complete heat logs as required by the department’s heat plan. The heat plan, Chapter 1. Temperatures in Prison Housing Units which arose from the Coleman v. Newsom litigation, Frequently Fell Outside Acceptable Temperature requires staff at prisons to document the temperatures Ranges, and Staff’s Failure to Consistently in prison housing units every three hours daily from Complete Heat Logs Hindered the OIG’s Ability May 1 through October 31, to determine if prison staff to Effectively Analyze the Full Extent of These need to take protective measures for the incarcerated Temperature Variations population who take medications that can cause heat related illnesses. Staff document the temperatures Prison Housing Units Reach Temperatures Outside the taken in housing units in heat logs. However, we found Design Guideline Range that prison staff did not document temperatures in The department’s design guidelines generally set temperature standards inside housing units at a minimum 68 degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum 1. Hereafter, temperatures will be expressed in Fahrenheit and abbreviated using standard scale references, e.g., 90°F. Page 1 of 3 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4212 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Shaun Spillane Chief Deputy Inspector General Summary Fact Sheet Independent September 11, 2025 Prison Oversight housing units each day as required by the heat plan replacement parts can take weeks or months to be and local operating procedures. When prison staff fail delivered. This delays maintenance and makes it more to document temperatures in the housing units, they difficult to maintain the prison’s aging infrastructure. may not know to take the necessary precautionary measures during periods of excessive heat, which Although Budgetary Constraints Present Challenges for puts the incarcerated population at risk. At Lancaster, the Department to Maintain its Heating and Cooling staff did not record temperatures in one housing unit Systems, It Is Seeking Budget Increases to Update and on 95 days, and staff did not record temperatures at Replace its Aging Equipment High Desert at one housing unit on 13 days. Corcoran had the best compliance, with staff not recording The department is taking steps to fund a pilot program temperatures at one housing unit on seven days. As to install and evaluate air cooling alternatives to a result, the number of days that temperatures were improve indoor environments at four prisons. This is a above or below the department’s design guidelines positive development considering that the heating and may be more than what we outlined in our audit cooling infrastructure at the majority of California’s report. In an effort to improve compliance with prisons is 30 years or older. It is important to point recording temperatures in heat logs as required by the out that this pilot program proposed to improve heat plan, the department is starting a pilot program 10 housing units at four prisons and is estimated to that will use wireless temperature-recording devices at cost approximately $69 million, however only part two prisons. of the request has been approved. Considering that California’s 31 prisons have over 1,500 cooling units, this pilot program accounts for less than 1 percent of Chapter 2. Budget Challenges and Inconsistent the 1,500 housing units statewide. Although not all Completion of Preventive Maintenance Inhibit the may need to be updated or replaced, the cost necessary Department’s Ability to Maintain Outdated Heating and Cooling Equipment for improvements to all heating and cooling systems would likely amount to billions of dollars, and would Preventive Maintenance is Not Consistently Completed require several years to complete. In 2020, the State’s Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated a cost of more At Corcoran and High Desert, we found that plant than $11 billion dollars to update California’s 12 oldest operations staff were challenged to complete prisons and another $8 billion for the remaining preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance 22 prisons2. is scheduled in accordance with manufacturer recommendations to increase the useful life of Chapter 3. The Department Does Not Protect a equipment and reduce the need for emergency repairs. Significant Number of Vulnerable Incarcerated One significant challenge was the department’s Individuals from the Heat or Cold computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), which did not track work orders or identify The Department Does Not Have Statewide Policies to overdue preventive maintenance. Protect Most of the Incarcerated Population from Heat We tested data from High Desert from March 15, 2023, The department offers limited heat relief, per the through October 31, 2023, and from Corcoran from heat plan, to incarcerated people on medications that July 5, 2023, through October 31, 2024. We found that impair their temperature regulation. The heat plan, at High Desert, plant operations staff completed at until this audit, aimed to protect those taking specific least one maintenance task at 103 of 104 buildings medications and applied only to a small group of the (99 percent). At Corcoran, of the 111 buildings sampled incarcerated population—approximately 13 percent that required preventive maintenance during our of the total incarcerated population as of the time of review period, 90 buildings (81 percent) had at least this report. This left 87 percent of the incarcerated one preventive maintenance task completed. population, including those more vulnerable due Budget constraints and variable wait times for replacement parts hinder plant operations staff from 2. In 2020 there were 34 prisons; however, currently there are completing repairs and maintenance on time. Some 31 prisons. Page 2 of 3 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4212 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Shaun Spillane Chief Deputy Inspector General Summary Fact Sheet Independent September 11, 2025 Prison Oversight to age or chronic conditions, without protections the incarcerated population. While most individuals from heat. On March 17, 2025, the department can find protection from the cold by putting on updated its heat plan by expanding its protections additional clothing such as a jacket, not all prisons to the entire incarcerated population in advance of offer sufficient clothing to protect some incarcerated our recommendation. people from the cold. The department provides all male incarcerated individuals one denim jacket as part The Department Could Provide Additional Measures of the standard clothing issued to them. These denim to Protect the Incarcerated Population at Prisons From jackets are thin and do not provide sufficient warmth. Cold Weather While the department does have an additional thicker nylon cloth jacket available that is lined and is warmer, Although fewer incarcerated people complain departmental policy does not require prisons to offer about the cold in prisons rather than the heat, cold the thicker jacket to all incarcerated people. Instead, temperatures also impact the living conditions of the department leaves this decision to the discretion of each prison. Recommendations Chapter 1 Chapter 2 • The department should establish • The department should prioritize replacing consistent guidelines to monitor and track heating and cooling equipment that has temperatures in living areas, including outlived its useful life and is no longer those living areas cooled by mechanical effective in maintaining temperatures refrigeration, on a year-round basis for all in prison buildings and housing units incarcerated people. under the current departmental design guidelines, or the guidelines established or • The department should ensure temperature agreed upon with other stakeholders. readings are taken in or at consistent locations in housing units, including • The department should establish separate pods, to ensure the temperature statewide policies and procedures for log itself is accurate and consistent. plant operations staff to effectively track and complete preventive maintenance • The department should also consider on heating and cooling equipment to taking temperature readings in cells to maximize the useful life of these systems. determine whether the temperatures in Chapter 3 cells, where incarcerated people spend a significant amount of their time, are more extreme than the temperatures in other • The department should consider living areas. expanding heat plan measures for all incarcerated people to protect vulnerable individuals in an aging population. • The department should ensure that all staff are aware of the process used to record temperatures in the heat log and establish • The department should consider providing a quality control process at prisons to the incarcerated population the option ensure heat logs are accurately completed. of receiving a thicker jacket to protect individuals during cold weather. Page 3 of 3 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4212 5 www.oig.ca.gov