ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A former Tampa Bay lawmaker calls it a “moral collapse” that a majority of Florida prisons do not have air conditioning.

While federal prisons are required to have air conditioning, state prisons are not. A 2023 report suggested about 75% of the facilities in Florida do not cool the air.

What You Need To Know • A 2023 report found that around 75% of Florida prisons don't have air conditioning • Officials say it would cost around $582 million to install A/C at all state prisons • Some consider not having air conditioning at prisons to be cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the Eighth Amendment • Others think the money should be used on continuing education and job training for inmates

“That isn’t just logistics,” said former State Sen. Jeff Brandes

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