A petition calling on the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano to implement a daily water provision and install an HVAC system has garnered over 300 signatures since it launched five days ago.
The petition was started by a local woman, Ashley, who shared that her loved one inside the prison has frequently gone 24 hours without water and shared that even when the watchtower is called to request water for the inmates, they’re waved away and told “Not right now.”
In addition to not receiving water when they need it, inmates are also kept cooped up in their cells as the installed swamp cooler circulates hot, black-soot-filled air.
“It’s coming out of the vents, getting all over their stuff and they’re inhaling it,” said Ashley during an interview with Kern Sol News. “I’m scared he’s going to die.”
According to Ashley, his physical health has been deteriorating in the scorching heat and dry conditions, while his mental health has also diminished through the stress and inhumane living conditions.
“I fear that my loved one might become the next victim of a mounting problem that already led to numerous preventable deaths in the facility,” she wrote in the petition.
Ashley also shared that these concerns have also been expressed to prison staff, but their response is always that inmates need to write grievance letters. She stated that solutions have yet to be seen even with these letters being written.
“The extreme heat is an eminent and serious issue for all inmates, a clear violation of basic human rights, and contrary to established standards for humane treatment. Kern Valley State Prison is currently failing their incarcerated people, forcing them to endure dangerous levels of heat and dehydration,” Ashley wrote in her petition. “As a solution, every inmate must be given water daily to prevent dehydration and an HVAC system must be installed to regulate the temperature within the prison.”
The situation at the prison has become dire. With temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, the lack of proper air conditioning during this heatwave poses severe health risks to inmates.
One petitioner, Gracie Hernandez, stated that this situation, at its core, is a civil rights violation that is inhumane and needs to be addressed. Ashley is asking the proper authorities to acknowledge this concern and take immediate action.
“Inmates are humans too and deserve to be treated as such. Take a stand now for humane prison conditions. Please sign this petition to ensure our loved ones have access to daily water and adequate cooling inside Kern Valley State Prison,” said Ashley.
The petition can be found and signed at www.change.org/KernValley.
Kern Sol News reached out to Kern Valley State Prison for a comment on the inmates living conditions and the petition but received no response.
