Lowering temperatures. Raising standards.

A few degrees can change everything.

Degrees of Humanity improves health, safety, & human dignity in correctional & other institutional environments.

Our first initiative is bringing practical cooling solutions to facilities where people cannot control the conditions around them.

Degrees of Humanity improves health, safety, & human dignity in correctional & other institutional environments.

Our first initiative is bringing practical cooling solutions to facilities where people cannot control the conditions around them.

Fund the CFRC Cooling Pilot

Explore the Pilot

Approved documentary image of an open-bay dormitory with rows of bunks, windows, ceiling fans, and a central aisle

Human impact

Approved documentary image of an institutional fan near a seated figure in warm window light

Heat becomes a health issue when relief is out of reach.

Explore the Stories

Extreme heat becomes a serious health & safety threat when the people affected cannot leave or control their environment.

In correctional facilities without consistent climate control, prolonged heat exposure can place incarcerated people, correctional staff, visitors, & caregivers at greater risk.

Why heat matters

A serious health issue, not a seasonal discomfort.

Safety for everyone inside

Extreme indoor temperatures can affect the health, concentration, & safety of incarcerated people, correctional staff, visitors, & those providing care.

Safety for everyone inside

Extreme indoor temperatures can affect the health, concentration, & safety of incarcerated people, correctional staff, visitors, & those providing care.

Greater medical risk

Age, chronic health conditions, medications, & mental-health needs can increase vulnerability during extreme heat.

Care becomes harder to provide

Overheated indoor spaces can increase fatigue, dehydration, and stress for incarcerated people, visitors, caregivers, & staff, making daily care & emergency response more difficult.

Central Florida Reception Center sign with sky and palm trees in the background.

OUR FIRST facility APPROVED PROJECT

A practical cooling pilot designed to create immediate relief & measurable results.

Degrees of Humanity is preparing a cooling pilot for a 184-bed dormitory at Central Florida Reception Center. The project will serve 92 people on each side of the dorm & includes cooling equipment, professional installation, system testing, project coordination, & post-installation monitoring.

The need is statewide. This pilot makes the response tangible.

65,000+

Estimated people living in Florida prison housing without air conditioning

Statewide estimate

515

Unconditioned housing units identified statewide

2023 master plan

184 beds

Total capacity targeted by the CFRC cooling pilot

Current project documents

~$95,000

Campaign goal for both sides of the dorm and responsible implementation

CAMPAIGN BUDGET

The $95,000 campaign goal reflects the full cost of responsible implementation, not only the cooling equipment. Funding will support professional installation, facility coordination, required logistics, monitoring, documentation, contingency, & anticipated donation-processing costs.

View the CFRC Pilot Budget

Pilot Timeline

The project will move forward in coordinated phases to support responsible installation, facility operations, and meaningful evaluation.

Planning & Approvals

Facility coordination, technical planning, contractor review, and confirmation of project requirements.

Fundraising & Procurement

Securing project funding, finalizing equipment, and preparing materials for installation.

Installation & Testing

Coordinating facility access, completing professional installation, and confirming system performance.

Monitoring & Reporting

Documenting conditions after installation and sharing project progress, outcomes, and lessons learned.

Fund the CFRC Cooling Pilot

Explore the Pilot

Statewide estimate based on Florida Department of Corrections population data and reported air-conditioning coverage. Housing-unit data is from Florida’s 2023 correctional system master plan. Pilot capacity is based on current facility information confirming 92 beds on each side of the dorm. The $95,000 campaign goal includes contractor pricing, contingency, implementation logistics, monitoring, documentation, & anticipated processing costs.

Voices & stories

Hear from the people sweating the issue.

Extreme heat inside correctional facilities affects more than one group. Families, correctional professionals, formerly incarcerated people, volunteers, & advocates describe its impact on health, safety, working conditions, rehabilitation, & daily life.

Hands writing a letter beside envelopes and a family photograph in warm natural light.

VOICES OF SUPPORT

The need is seen from every side.

Degrees of Humanity is gathering firsthand perspectives from people who have experienced, witnessed, or worked within the realities of extreme heat in correctional environments. These stories help explain why practical cooling matters and why measurable pilot projects are an important step toward broader public investment.

Explore the Stories

FROM CORRECTIONAL STAFF

Safe working conditions matter.

Hear how extreme heat affects concentration, medical response, morale, and day-to-day operations.

FROM FAMILIES

The effects reach beyond the facility.

Families describe the fear, uncertainty, and hope connected to the health and safety of their loved ones.

WHY THE PILOT MATTERS

Evidence can move policy forward.

Learn how documented outcomes can help turn one project into a model for future public investment.

Submit a Heat Story

Have a hot story to share?

We are gathering firsthand accounts from people with direct experience of extreme heat or inadequate climate control in correctional facilities.

Submissions must relate directly to heat, temperature, ventilation, cooling, or air-conditioning conditions in a correctional facility.

Human Dignity should not depend on the temperature outside, but on the Degrees of Humanity inside.

Help us bring practical cooling solutions to places where people have little ability to change the conditions around them.

Support the CFRC Pilot

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