Inmate suit over 'brick oven’ heat at Miami-Dade prison now a class action

MIAMI — Dozens, and possibly hundreds, of inmates could now join a federal lawsuit alleging that extreme temperatures at Dade Correctional Institution, a state prison in South Miami-Dade, are putting them at “substantial risk of serious harm.” U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams allowed the case to expand into a class action lawsuit in October. The ruling allows three classes to continue pursuing the suit: members of the general population incarcerated at the prison, inmates with medical conditions that leave them susceptible to the heat, and inmates with disabilities. kAm~? %9FCD52J[ 2EE@C?6J p5C:2? u6=:I E@=5 E96 |:2>: w6C2=5 E96 CF=:?8 H:== 7@C46 AC:D@? @77:4:2=D E@ “2?DH6C 7@C E96 4@?5:E:@?D 2E s256 rx 2D 2 H9@=6 C2E96C E92? @?6 4@>A=2:?E 2E 2 E:>6]”k^Am kAm“(6 92G6 2C8F65 7C@> E96 DE2CE E92E E96 52?86C@FD 962E :?D:56 E96 s256 r@CC64E:@?2= x?DE:EFE:@? 5@C>:E@C:6D :D ?@E 2? :D@=2E65 AC@3=6> 27764E:?8 2 76H A6@A=6[” D2:5 u6=:I[ H9@ :D 2 A2CE?6C 2E q:=K:? $F>36C8] “xE :D 2 724:=:EJ\H:56 4@?5:E:@? E92E AFED 6G6CJ A6CD@? :?42C46C2E65 E96C6 2E DF3DE2?E:2= C:D< @7 3@5:=J 92C>]”k^Am kAm%96 4@FCE 42D6 3682? @? ~4E] b`[ a_ac[ H96? :?>2E6D sH2J?6 (:=D@?[ %JC@?6 w2CC:D 2?5 v2CJ (966=6C DF65 E96 AC:D@?[ E96 H2C56? 2?5 E96 u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D @G6C E96 962E 2?5 =24< @7 G6?E:=2E:@? 2E E96 724:=:EJ] q:=K:? $F>36C8 :D H@C<:?8 2=@?8D:56 u=@C:52 yFDE:46 x?DE:EFE6 2?5 &56=D>2? {2H !{{r 7@C E96 =2HDF:E]k^Am kAm%96 4@?5:E:@?D 2E E96 AC:D@?[ E96 =2HDF:E 2==686D[ G:@=2E6 7656C2= =2HD 2?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 AC@9:3:E:@? 282:?DE 4CF6= 2?5 F?FDF2= AF?:D9>6?E] p== E9C66 >6? 92G6 D:?46 366? EC2?D76CC65 7C@> E96 AC:D@?[ H9:49 :D =@42E65 D@FE9 @7 u=@C:52 r:EJ]k^Am kAm%96 962E 2E E96 724:=:EJ :D D@ D6G6C6 E92E s6C6< !66E6[ 2? :?>2E6 @?46 96=5 2E E96 724:=:EJ[ 4@>A2C65 36:?8 :? 2 46== E@ “36:?8 :? 2 3C:4< @G6? 3642FD6 E96 962E :D ;FDE 3=2DE:?8 2== E96 E:>6[” 244@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE C64@C5D] !66E6 H2D C6=62D65 7C@> AC:D@? E9:D |2C49[ u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D C64@C5D D2J]k^Am kAm%9C@F89 E96 DF:E[ E96 :?>2E6D 2C6 2D<:?8 E96 4@FCE E@ @C56C E92E AC:D@? @77:4:2=D “E2<6 :>>65:2E6 24E:@? E@ 232E6 E96 DF3DE2?E:2= C:D< D6C:@FD 92C> 72465 3J 6G6CJ@?6 :?42C46C2E65 2E s256 rx]” %96 AC:D@? @?=J 92D 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 :? E96 :?7:C>2CJ 2?5 :? 2 >6?E2= 962=E9 F?:E]k^Am kAm%96 “6IEC6>6 4@?5:E:@?D 42FD6 962E 6I92FDE:@? 2?5 962E DEC@<6[ 2?5 6I246C32E6 D6C:@FD >65:42= 4@?5:E:@?D[ AFEE:?8 6G6CJ@?6 2E C:D< @7 D6C:@FD >65:42= 4@>A=:42E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 962CE 2EE246?’D 2EE@C?6JD D2:5 :? E96 4@>A=2:?E]k^Am kAm%96 u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ E96 |:2>: w6C2=5’D C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am kAmx? 2 cc\A286 @C56C[ E96 ;F586 56E2:=D 6G:56?46 AC6D6?E65 5FC:?8 2 962C:?8 23@FE E96 :?>2E6D’ 4=2:>D] pD 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 =:E:82E:@?[ E96 :?>2E6D DF:?8 H6C6 2==@H65 E@ :?DE2== E6>A6C2EFC6 D6?D@CD :? 5@C>:E@C:6D 2E s256 r@CC64E:@?2= x?DE:EFE:@?] %96 u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D 5@6D ?@E <66A C64@C5 @7 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2E :ED 724:=:E:6D]k^Am kAm%96 D6?D@CD F?4@G6C65 E92E E96 >65:2? 962E :?56I 2E E96 724:=:EJ H2D hg]b 568C66D — 2?5 E96 >2I H2D ``h]c 568C66D[ E96 @C56C DE2E6D] w62E :?56I >62DFC6D H92E E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 766=D =:<6 E@ E96 9F>2? 3@5J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= (62E96C $6CG:46]k^Am kAmu@C642DE6CD FC86 E96 AF3=:4 E@ 36 42FE:@FD H96? E96 962E :?56I :D :? E96 C2?86 @7 h_ E@ `_b 568C66D 3642FD6 @7 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 962E DEC@<6 2?5 962E 6I92FDE:@?[ E96 @C56C DE2E6D] %96 }2E:@?2= (62E96C $6CG:46 4@?D:56CD 2 962E :?56I @7 `_b E@ `ac 52?86C@FD[ H:E9 :?4C62D65 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 962E 6I92FDE:@? 2?5 962E DEC@<6]k^Am kAm%96 962E :?56I :?D:56 E96 AC:D@? 6I466565 E96 4@?5:E:@?D @FED:56 23@FE g_T @7 E96 E:>6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 @C56C] sFC:?8 E96 962C:?8[ 6IA6CED 42==65 3J E96 :?>2E6D E6DE:7:65 E92E E96 962E 4@F=5 36 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ D:42E6D’ 2EE@C?6JD 2=D@ :?EC@5F465 a` 564=2C2E:@?D 7C@> @E96C >6? :?42C46C2E65 2E E96 AC:D@?] $6G6C2= @7 E96 :?>2E6D 56D4C:365 9@H E96 A@@C G6?E:=2E:@? >2<6D :E 5:77:4F=E E@ D=66A 2E ?:89E — 2?5 >2<6D “6G6CJ@?6 2?8C:6C 2?5 >@C6 2?I:@FD]” ~E96CD 2=D@ D2:5 E96J “DH62E AC@7FD6=J” 2?5 86E 962E C2D96D E92E =62G6 E96> 766=:?8 =:<6 E96J 2C6 “@? E@A @7 2 365 @7 7:C6 2?ED]”k^Am kAm~?6 :?>2E6 D2:5 E96 DH6=E6C:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D 92G6 AFD965 9:> E@ E2<6 5C2DE:4 >62DFC6Di A@FC:?8 E@:=6E H2E6C @? 9:D 3@5J E@ ECJ E@ 4@@= 5@H?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 @C56C]k^Am kAm“tG6? H96? x 8@ :? 7C@?E @7 2 72?[ x 766= E92E x 2> ;FDE 86EE:?8 9@E 2:C 3=@H? :?E@ >J 7246[” D2:5 |2C4 $:=G:D[ H9@ C6>2:?D :? s256 r@CC64E:@?2= x?DE:EFE:@?] “xE 766=D =:<6 H6 2C6 86EE:?8 4@@<65 :? 2 4@?G64E:@? @G6?]”k^Am kAm%96 u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D 2C8F65 E92E E96 42D6 4@F=5 ?@E AC@4665 2D 2 4=2DD 24E:@? 3642FD6 E96 :?>2E6D 2E E96 724:=:EJ 92G6 2 H:56 G2C:6EJ @7 >65:42= 4@?5:E:@?D] %96 ;F586[ 9@H6G6C[ 5:D28C665]k^Am