Letter To The DN-R: "Not Fit For Man Or Beast"

City Dogs Boarding and Playcare, Roanoke, Virginia

Buckingham Correctional Center, Dillwyn, Virginia

A July 9 article in the Roanoke Times highlights a criminal investigation into one of the city's kennels where dogs were found suffering from heat distress. I couldn't help thinking of the hundreds of men and women in at least eight of the Commonwealth's aging concrete prisons suffering in similar or even worse ways. A friend at Buckingham Correctional Center recently wrote, "We are cooking here... Extra pod fans do nothing but blow hot air. Cells are like ovens, with the metal on our bunks and lockers warm to the touch. We wake up and our sheets are not damp but wet."

According to the Vera Institute of Justice, "Temperatures inside jails and prisons can often exceed 100 degrees. The heat index can reach as high as 150 degrees. ...Exposure to high heat alone can lead to increases in aggression, suicide, poor cognitive functioning, and overall poor mental health. What’s more, over 20 percent of people incarcerated in U.S. prisons have a mental illness, and an aging prison population means that many individuals are suffering from medical conditions..."

While I share everyone's concerns about animals being treated humanely, we should surely treat our fellow human beings with equal regard, even those charged with crimes. The VADOC is, after all, a Department of Correction, not of mere punishment.