Oversight Committee Democrats Press Committee Republicans to Prioritize the Safety of Inmates Across the Country

Letter

Earlier this year, Committee Republicans arranged a visit to the D.C. jail in light of concerns about the conditions experienced by individuals held on charges related to the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Similarly, Committee Democrats worked persistently to investigate and improve harsh prison conditions in the past two Congresses. Given our shared interest in the rights of the incarcerated, I urge you and Committee Republicans to join Committee Democrats in our work to bring transparency and accountability to prisons across the country, sweltering in the heat of a brutal climate change summer.

Our planet recently experienced the hottest month ever recorded, with Texas and other southern states measuring some of the hottest temperatures on Earth. The capacity of prisons and jails to adequately prepare for and provide resources to meet the increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change deserves immediate attention from this Committee. If Committee Republicans are serious about conducting oversight of the conditions within prisons and correctional facilities, and not just playing politics with a single facility, it is critical that you demand that facilities across the country hold inmates in a humane environment and not limit your interest to a single facility.

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