Overcrowded California prison without electricity seeks alternatives amid heat wave

An overcrowded men’s prison in Solano County, California, had to rely on an emergency generator for three days after losing power. Temperatures in the area during those days reached 96 degrees Fahrenheit, officials said in a statement.

The utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was working on Tuesday, July 16, to restore power at around 2:30 p.m. (local time) to its Vacaville facility in Solano County, about 450 miles from Sacramento, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

On Sunday, July 14, the power went out at the prison, just as a heat wave hit the state, and remained that way for three days, so they had to resort to an emergency generator.

Additionally, running water, ice and cooling fans were made available during those days “to help manage heat-related issues,” the corrections department said in a statement, AP reported.

Temperatures in the city reached 96°F and remained extremely hot throughout those days. To prevent any health problems among the prisoners, medical staff were monitoring the population.

“The health and safety of all people who live and work within our institution and in our community are our top priorities,” they wrote.

They also specified that the blackout did not affect security in the prison.

The blackout was a prison problem

The utility company Pacific Gas & Electric said Tuesday that the power outage did not involve its equipment but was the result of a problem with the prison, without making clear what the problem was.

Solano County State Prison, located at 2100 Peabody Road in Vacaville, is one of the largest prisons in California. The facility was housing more than 3,900 men and was at 153% of its intended capacity, according to a corrections department report.

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