The death of a female inmate at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla is being investigated amid allegations by an advocacy group the extreme heat was the cause.
The advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners posted on social media the woman died of heat stroke. The woman’s identity has not been released.
“Even after this horrifying incident, CCWP continues to receive constant and alarming reports from incarcerated people – people are locked into cells reaching temperatures of 95 degrees, causing widespread headaches, vomiting, and other dangerous physical symptoms,” the alert said.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials have denied those reports. KQED reported a CDCR spokesperson said the woman died from an ongoing medical condition, not the heat.
CDCR provided no other details to KQED, saying the woman was taken to an outside medical facility Thursday and died Saturday.
A CDCR spokeperson told KQED in an email the agency is paying special attention to care of medically-vulnerable inmates by providing additional water, ice and cooling areas.
The agnecy said it also providing information to staff and inmates about how to prevent heat-related illnesses.
The death comes amid a scortching heat wave in Merced and the San Joaquin Valley. According to KVPR, on Tuesday, the Merced airport broke a six-day streak of temperatures registered at or above 105-degrees.
The Fresno area has now gone at least eight straight days with temperatures over 105 degrees this month. Excessive heat warnings remain in effect throughout the Valley this week.