Do Prisons Without Air-Conditioning Constitute 'Cruel and Unusual Punishment'?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Not automatically.  It is unfortunate that designing for passive cooling and heating is not as important as it once was, but with proper ventilation, even down here in the humid heat of South Carolina it is possible to do okay without AC.  The main problem is for someone who is habituated to continual AC and is then suddenly deprived, or for those with weakened bodily functions from age and/or disease.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

LOL NO. If schools without air conditioning are constitutional, so are prisons without air conditioning.

indeed this.  My HS didn't have AC in one of the buildings, nor did one of my grade schools.  I guess 7 year old kids in 1980 were just tougher than prisoners are in 2016.

What states do you guys live in where all the prisoners are let out for summer break?

You guys realize you are actually making a strong argument for air conditioning prisons, right?

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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/debunking-myth-summer-vacation/

I went to un-air conditioned schools in August in South Carolina.  Granted, every room had big fans to circulate the air and were generally on a more open plan than is common today, but it is possible to do okay in the worst of the summer heat.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The existence of prisons is a testament to this failure of humanity's ability to self-correct. They're a necessary evil, but they should never, ever be mistaken for a positive good, and alternatives should be sought whenever possible.

And yet you say concerning the death penalty:

Never in any circumstance.

For truly incorrigible criminals, the death penalty is theoretically a potential solution, tho in practice, one that is unlikely to be widely applied.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

What about the jail guards? Don't they deserve AC?

What?!  They're about as sadistic as people can be.  I actually know a jail guard--not very well, but I've known him since the sixth grade--and he's a prototypical prison guard.  Vengeful, narrowminded, and stubborn.

Anyway, the guards choose to be there.  Unlike the prisoners, who are caged like zoo animals against their will, the guards are free to leave and seek alternative employment.

Maybe it's different where you are, but prison/jail guards around here are often stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to economic freedom.  It's one of the few above minimum-wage level jobs with benefits that are available to semi-skilled workers, but between understaffing and other difficult working conditions, it's also one of the most stressful jobs out there.  So yeah, they could leave, but unless they've mapped out a plan to get training to be a skilled worker in another industry, they'd be take a huge hit economically.