The Marion Correctional Treatment Center is shown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Marion, Va. A lawsuit over a Virginia prison inmate’s death has raised broader questions about conditions at the lockup, and newly obtained records are now providing further insights. The records obtained by The Associated Press show inmates at the Marion Correctional Treatment Center, which houses predominantly mentally ill offenders, were hospitalized for hypothermia at least 13 times in three years.
The AP obtained records showing inmates at Marion, which houses predominantly mentally ill offenders, were hospitalized for hypothermia at least 13 times in three years during cold-weather months while medical providers expressed concern about temperatures at the prison.Armed robbers hit luxury store in Paris reported to be ‘Jeweler to the Stars’“I am hopeful it may warm up some before fall officially sets in ...
Kyle Gibson, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, repeatedly declined to answer questions about what the records showed or to address prison conditions, citing the pending litigation. He did not acknowledge an AP request to interview the facility’s warden or another DOC official with oversight of Marion.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that hypothermia, which can be fatal, is most likely at very cold temperatures, but can happen at cooler temperatures above 40 degrees if a person is chilled from water.