July 8, 2024
News item: The Vermont State Employees’ Association recently filed a workplace safety complaint after four correctional officers at the Springfield prison experienced heat stroke-like symptoms during the warm start to the summer. Some of the workers passed out and went to the hospital. According to the complaint, one correctional officer lost his vision temporarily and later woke up in the hospital with no memory of what had happened.
There is no air conditioning in the facility; employees do have access to fans, but they don’t really mitigate matters when the heat index soars into the 90’s.
I feel for them. On the other hand, at the end of their shift, they can go home (and perhaps look for work in a less brutal environment). The prisoners are stuck in inhumane conditions 24 hours a day.