UPDATE (6/26):
Pima County Facilities Management successfully restored the chillers and air handlers serving the Pima County Adult Detention Complex, the Pima County Sheriff Department said.
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UPDATE (6/24):
The Pima County Sheriff's Department now says the AC problems at the detention complex are tied to the facility's chiller systems and are limited to a small portion of the jail.
In a statement Tuesday night, PCSD said facilities staff are working to obtain replacement parts and complete repairs "as quickly as possible."
The department said staff are continuously monitoring temperatures in affected cells and common areas to keep them below 80 degrees and are providing measures to ease discomfort while repairs continue.
"At this time, the issue remains isolated to a small portion of the facility, and staff will continue to closely monitor conditions until repairs are complete," PCSD said.
The update follows accounts from a recently released inmate and the fiancée of a current inmate, who described non-functioning AC, inadequate fans, and overcrowded cells amid extreme heat.
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Inmates at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex say the air conditioning in their pods is not working as extreme heat grips southern Arizona.
Able Mussah, who was recently released after 22 months in the facility, said the AC is pretty much nonexistent.
"I understand this is not a hotel or anything like that but it's supposed to be living conditions not inhumane, you know what I mean? Cause in there you're sweating like a mug," Mussah said.
He said the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) provides fans inside the building, but even those are not enough to address the heat.
Mussah also noted that the lack of cooling creates additional problems when inmates share close quarters.
"If you have a bunkie or someone that you know, their personal hygiene is not up to par, then that causes more issues," Mussah said.
“We’re already in there so don’t punish us even more, you know what I mean? So you know, just give a little leeway. A little AC won’t hurt.”
Jessica Martin, whose fiancé is currently held in the facility, said she has been told the same conditions exist in pods 2A and 2B. She said her fiancé claims inmates have been without air conditioning for about three weeks.
Martin said the fan situation inside has created conflict among inmates.
"Fans. There aren't enough of them to go around. There's two floors and almost nobody has them pointed at their cells so there's a fan war going on. Don't touch the fan, don't turn it that way, don't turn it this way, don't move it from me," Martin said.
She said her fiancé is being held in a cell with two other people, despite the space only having two beds.
"Cells are small. There's only two beds. There's really not room for three and it just makes it more hotter because they're just stifling in there," Martin said.
She said one sleeps on the floor and says this has been happening for about a week and a half.
Martin said she is worried about the safety of her fiancé and other inmates.
"Yes they're in jail, but they're human beings," Martin said.
"People die of heat stroke all the time so yeah, I'm very worried. His cellmate is an elderly gentleman, super skinny and he has so many problems breathing that during all this heat, he's having a lot of problems with getting a breath in and it's horrible."
Martin said she's called the detention complex two to three times a week and when she gets a hold of someone, she's told maintenance is working on it.
"He has a clear view to the roof and he says he's never seen anybody up there working on the air conditioning units that he can see," Martin added.
The PCSD responded to the concerns in a statement:
"The Pima County Facilities Department has identified issues affecting several air conditioning units at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex. Facilities staff have secured the necessary replacement parts and are working as quickly as possible to complete repairs. The air conditioning system remains operational; however, it is not currently performing at optimal capacity. County staff continue to monitor conditions closely while repairs are underway."
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
