It’s time for access to sunlight and fresh air at the Centre County jail | Opinion
This fall, the Centre County Commissioners will have the opportunity to decide whether to provide access to sunlight to our incarcerated citizens for the first time in 20 years. The Centre County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society joins numerous other groups and members of our community in urging our elected leaders to take immediate positive action.
When the current county jail was constructed in 2005, its designers eliminated an outdoor yard, replacing it with several small indoor gyms each with a garage door along one wall that opens from the top, letting in a small amount of fresh air. The design was approved in spite of state law that guarantees incarcerated people, with some restrictions, “at least 2 hours daily, physical exercise in the open, weather permitting.”
Today, Centre County’s incarcerated citizens cannot see the sky, experience sunlight, encounter nature, or witness the changing seasons unless they are on work release.
Fortunately, people across the nation are waking up to the consequences of denying sunlight to prisoners. In a recent court case in San Francisco, the judge found the city was “recklessly indifferent” when it deprived county prisoners access to direct sunlight. Doctors in that case testified that over time, the lack of natural light and fresh air can lead to osteoporosis and heart disease, anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep.
Our Centre County Prison Board has heard similar testimony from formerly incarcerated people about the physical and mental health consequences of not being able to see and feel the sun and fresh air in our jail.
To their credit, our county elected officials are taking steps to make this right. In January, the Commissioners approved a study to determine what could be done to modify the jail to provide outdoor access. The study, by TranSystems Corporation, is expected to be made public as soon as September.
Ahead of that, the advocacy group Central PA United will hold a panel discussion about outdoor recreation, including the testimony of both experts and formerly incarcerated people. It will be held this Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 7-9 p.m. at the Boalsburg Fire Hall, 113 E Pine Street.
Some may insist that any modifications to our county jail are too expensive. Truthfully, though, we are paying the price now for decisions made by our elected officials 20 years ago. We do not believe the people of Centre County intend for our incarcerated people to come out of jail less able to function in society than they were when they went in.
Janet Irons is a State College resident and a member of the Centre County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society. Founded in 1787, the Society works to promote the health, safety and dignity of people in prison and their families.