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Prison Heatwaves: The Role of Reading in Summer Survival

When the heat is unbearable and there’s nothing to do, a book can be the only way out—if only in the mind.

Illustration of an incarcerated man sitting on a prison bed, bathed in harsh red and orange sunlight streaming through a barred window. His posture and expression convey exhaustion and discomfort from extreme heat, reflecting the harsh summer conditions in U.S. prisons.

As the days grow longer and warmer, we know summer is just around the corner. For most of us, that means sunshine, vacations, and maybe a break in routine. But inside U.S. prisons, summer looks very different. It’s the start of a dangerous season—one where triple-digit heat meets concrete walls, limited ventilation, and very few ways to cool down.


Many prisons, especially in the South and Southwest, still lack air-conditioning. Temperatures inside can soar well past 100 degrees. With minimal outdoor time and no access to fans or cold water, people are left to endure extreme conditions in silence.


One incarcerated writer from the Marshall Project described his cell as a “hot box”—a top-tier cell that gets full sun all day, hitting 92 degrees by night. Another wrote about showering with lukewarm water in an already sweltering cellblock and struggling to get enough cold drinking water.


From Arizona, the Prison Journalism Project shared the words of another man: “It’s like being trapped in an oven.” In California, during a severe heatwave, prison staff opened fire exits at night just to let in a little cooler air.


In conditions like these, very few things are possible. But reading is one of them—and it matters.


Books become a kind of lifeline—offering distraction, comfort, and hope. Some of the most common letters we get at the Prison Library Project in the summer are simple: “It’s too hot to think. Please send books.” Whether it’s poetry, mystery, or a guide to learning a trade, each book we send is a way for someone to mentally step outside their cell, even just for a little while.


One person wrote to us: “Books are our only escape from this place.” That sentence sits with us—especially in the summer months, when escape, even into a good story, can feel like survival.

And this isn’t just about discomfort. A 2023 UCLA study found that incarcerated people are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths. These outcomes, the researchers said, are “predictable and preventable.” With climate change accelerating, this issue is only becoming more urgent.


We can’t fix the broken infrastructure or cool down every cellblock—but we can keep sending books. And that matters.


Your donations, your support, and your voice help us make sure that during the hottest months of the year, something good still makes its way behind bars.





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