Clark County jailer apologizes for steamy conditions inside jail, says repairs are coming
Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle apologized Friday for the sweltering conditions inside the jail and said county officials hope to have a functional air conditioning system installed by early next month.
The Herald-Leader reported earlier this week that as summer temperatures soared into the 90s, inmates have complained that it’s hard to breathe the hot, thick air inside the overcrowded Clark County Detention Center in downtown Winchester.
On a recent weekday, the jail was filled to 127 percent of capacity, with 198 inmates and only 156 permanent beds.
Documents the newspaper obtained through the Kentucky Open Records Act show the jail has been aware of serious problems with its HVAC system for at least a year. It hired Fayette Hearing and Air of Lexington for repairs.
Fixing the HVAC system proved more difficult than expected, Doyle said in a prepared statement Friday.
Doyle declined to speak with the Herald-Leader for its original story.
“Our detention center is a 34-year-old building, which in essence means that the old units are obsolete and custom HVAC units had to be custom-made to fit the building,” Doyle said. “This took time. The units have been built and are at the company that will install them.”
The necessary equipment should arrive in two phases over the coming days, with everything in place by July 6, Doyle said.
The jail tried to deal with the heat in the interim by bringing in portable air conditioning units, fans, water and ice, Doyle said.
“Everything possible was done to provide a safe environment,” Doyle said. “This long-standing issue has affected not only the inmates but also the dedicated staff that work inside the facility. We apologize for the inconvenience this caused to all involved.”
