‘I can barely breathe.’ Clark County jail inmates struggle with soaring temps, steamy air

As summer temperatures continue to soar into the 90s, inmates say they struggle to breathe in the hot, thick air inside the overcrowded Clark County Detention Center in Winchester, where the air conditioning has not properly worked for at least a year.

Allison Tippins, who has a loved one in the jail, told the Herald-Leader last week that a 280-square-foot dormitory cell meant to house 10 people instead is packed with 20 or more people on some days.

Inmates sleep on the dirty floor as interior temperatures near 100 degrees, Tippins said. They are forbidden from stripping off their jail uniforms, which are made of a heavy material, she said.

Making things worse, Tippins said, the cell’s shower has one water temperature — extremely hot. As a result, whenever anyone bathes, the stifling air also becomes steamy, she said.

“It’s not just that it’s uncomfortable in there, it’s that it’s actually gotten dangerous,” Tippins said. “I’m worried someone is going to get sick. You’re not supposed to make people live in conditions like this.”

A review of inmate grievances obtained by the Herald-Leader under the Kentucky Open Records Act shows similar complaints filed with the jailer over the past three months.

“I have asthma and it is so hot and muggy I can barely breathe. Can we please get a fan?” one inmate wrote.

“Tensions are high because of the heat and it’s just too hot,” wrote a second.

“Please, it’s 1,000 degrees in here,” wrote a third.

“It’s extremely hot in Cell 89. They say the air’s on, but it’s blowing hot air,” wrote a fourth.

“Please turn blowers on, Cell 95 is super hot,” wrote a fifth.

Charlie Thomas is the directing attorney for the public defenders at the state Department of Public Advocacy office in Richmond, which oversees Clark County. Thomas told the Herald-Leader his lawyers are hearing the same concerns from incarcerated clients when they visit the Clark County jail.

“It has been warm,” Thomas acknowledged Monday. “Given the time of year, as it has gotten hotter outside the jail, it has also gotten hotter inside the jail.”

Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle did not respond to multiple requests over the past month for comment about living conditions inside the jail. Nor did Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates.

However, documents obtained by the Herald-Leader through the Open Records Act show the Clark County jail has been planning to repair its air conditioning system for at least a year, since June 2023. Invoices show $180,513 due to Fayette Heating and Air of Lexington for air conditioning and fan repairs from March to May of this year.

State records indicate the jail opened in 1993.

In a lengthy plan for corrective action filed with the state Department of Corrections, which inspects local jails, Clark County jail officials said in April 2024 a new HVAC system was “being added within the next three months.”

State inspectors also noted overcrowded cells throughout the jail, which on a recent weekday was filled to 127 percent of capacity, with 198 inmates and only 156 permanent beds.

Overcrowded jails are common in Kentucky , especially jails — like Clark County’s — that are paid to house state inmates serving felony sentences, alongside local inmates awaiting trial or serving short stints for misdemeanors.

Clark County Attorney William Elkins said Friday he’s not personally heard complaints about inmates being too hot inside their cells, but he’s aware that county officials have been working to repair the jail’s air conditioning since around mid-2023.

It’s possible there have been delays in getting the project completed, although he’s not sure what the delays are, Elkins said.

“I do believe that the county is doing everything it can about it,” Elkins said.

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