The Federal Court has directed Correctional Service Canada to install air conditioning in the secure unit of the Edmonton Institution for Women, citing long-standing failures to protect inmates from dangerous summer temperatures.
In a July 16 decision, Justice Meaghan Conroy ruled that CSC has not implemented an effective solution despite complaints dating back two decades. The court noted that excessive heat has caused inmates to suffer panic attacks, psychological distress, and sleep deprivation.
“The excessively high temperatures have caused inmates to suffer panic attacks, psychological distress, and sleep deprivation. It is a long-standing problem: CSC has known of design problems with the temperature regulation equipment in Secure since as early as 2012,” Justice Conroy wrote.
One inmate affidavit described a corner cell known as “the oven,” where a maintenance worker recorded temperatures exceeding 40°C in 2018.
The judge also highlighted a surprising gap in CSC’s practices: while the agency claims to routinely monitor temperatures, it keeps no written records of those readings.
The court has ordered CSC to begin recording temperature readings in the unit and to seek authorization for the installation of air conditioning.
A CSC spokesperson said the agency is reviewing the Federal Court decision, and that the service currently relies on measures such as increased access to cold water, ice, and cool showers, using air-conditioned areas like gyms as cool-down zones, dehumidifiers, and night-time mechanical ventilation.
CSC also stated that it continuously monitors the health of inmates at higher risk of heat-related complications.
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