Current:Home > NewsDrinking water testing ordered at a Minnesota prison after inmates refused to return to their cells-LoTradeCoin
Drinking water testing ordered at a Minnesota prison after inmates refused to return to their cells
lotradecoin servicequality View Date:2024-12-25 12:39:55
STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — State officials have ordered additional tests on drinking water at a Minnesota prison after concerns about the water’s quality and other issues were raised when dozens of inmates refused to return to their cells during a heat wave earlier this month.
The “additional and more comprehensive water testing” has been ordered at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater “to assure staff and incarcerated individuals that the water is safe for drinking,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement released over the weekend.
On Sept. 3, about 100 inmates in one housing unit refused to return to their cells in what one former inmate there called an act of “self-preservation” amid dangerously high temperatures in the region.
Advocates said the inmate action was an impromptu response to unsafe conditions, including what they said was brown-colored drinking water, excessive heat, lack of air conditioning and limited access to showers and ice during on and off lockdowns over the past two months.
The Department of Corrections said at the time that claims “about a lack of clean water in the facility are patently false.”
In the statement released Saturday, the department said it is having bottled water brought in for staff and inmates while the agency awaits the testing results.
The prison is located in Bayport, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Minneapolis, which was under an afternoon heat advisory for temperatures that approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius) on Sept. 3.
Intense heat waves across the country have led to amplified concern for prison populations, especially those in poorly ventilated or air-conditioned facilities.
veryGood! (3878)
Related
- New Jersey, home to many oil and gas producers, eyes fees to fight climate change
- The Wilderness Has Chosen These Yellowjackets Gifts for Every Fan
- You'll Be Fifty Shades of Freaked Out By Jamie Dornan's Run-In With Toxic Caterpillars
- Burton Wilde: 2024 U.S. Stock Market Optimal Strategy
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dropping Hints
- Chris Stapleton's Traveller is smooth as Tennessee whiskey, but it's made in Kentucky
- Against a backdrop of rebel attacks and border closures, Rwanda and Burundi trade accusations
- Dexter Scott King, son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dies of cancer at 62
- China's new tactic against Taiwan: drills 'that dare not speak their name'
- Trump trial in E. Jean Carroll defamation case delayed because of sick juror
Ranking
- Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update)
- Canada is capping foreign student visas to ease housing pressures as coast of living soars
- Man charged with killing his wife in 1991 in Virginia brought back to US to face charges
- DeSantis Called for “Energy Dominance” During White House Run. His Plan Still is Relevant to Floridians, Who Face Intensifying Climate Impacts
- See Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's Twins Monroe and Moroccan Gift Her Flowers Onstage
- US Supreme Court to hear case of Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip
- Burton Wilde: Four Techniques for Securely Investing in Cryptocurrencies.
- New Mexico police discover explosive device, investigate second suspicious package
Recommendation
-
See Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's Twins Monroe and Moroccan Gift Her Flowers Onstage
-
'Send your pup here!' Video shows incredible dog help rescue its owner from icy lake
-
Abortion rights supporters launch campaign for Maryland constitutional amendment
-
2024 NFL draft order: Top 28 first-round selections set after divisional playoffs
-
Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast
-
When do New Hampshire primary polls open and close? Here's what time you can vote in Tuesday's 2024 election
-
Shirtless Jason Kelce Is the Real MVP for Helping Fan Meet Taylor Swift at Chiefs Game
-
Take a look at your 401(k). The S&P 500 and Dow just hit record highs.