Appeals Court Rules No Air Conditioning Needed On Louisiana’s Death Row
When you have committed a crime so heinous that a judge and or jury of your peers has sentenced you to die for your crime you probably won't get a lot so sympathy from me. That's why I found it quite disconcerting when attorneys representing prisoners on Louisiana's death row were going to court to petition the state to add air conditioning to the cells that house the worst of the worst.
I was even more taken aback when a lower court ruled that there should be air conditioning added to the cells of those prisoners condemned to die. When a federal court judged ruled that Angola Prison must maintain a temperature below 88 degrees including the heat index, he was by default forcing the facility to install air conditioning.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned that ruling,according to a report published by the Louisiana Radio Network. Their judgement did say that inmates who require special medical treatment be provided with some relief. The court also suggested that Angola provide personal fans and cold showers plus ample supplies of cold water to help inmates cope with higher temperatures.