A new class action lawsuit laying out allegations of cruel and unusual punishment against the Missouri Department of Corrections cited reporting by The Beacon’s Meg Cunningham.
The lawsuit, centered around conditions at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City, alleges indoor temperatures of up to 111 degrees Fahrenheit, walls and floors that are dripping wet with sweat and humidity, medical episodes and inmates praying they would make it through the increasingly hot nights to see another day.
Cunningham began her reporting on lack of air conditioning and extreme heat in Missouri Department of Corrections facilities back in 2023 during her time as The Beacon’s Missouri Statehouse reporter. This topic continues to be an important one to cover for Cunningham. Many of these prisons are in Missouri’s rural community, giving Cunningham the opportunity to continue coverage when she moved into the rural health reporter position in November 2024.
In her latest reportCunningham dove into what the lawsuit alleges, the dangers of heat in prisons and how inmates handle the heat. She also reported on how Missouri prisons will be getting air conditioning but it could take years to be completed.
The Beacon’s reporting being cited in this lawsuit highlights our mission to give a voice to the underrepresented and the importance of our reporting across the region. We’ll continue to follow this lawsuit and the impacts of extreme summer heat on Missouri’s incarcerated population.
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