Correctional Facilities

Why humidify correctional facilities?

Maintaining proper indoor humidity levels is an important part of creating healthy, comfortable, and well-functioning correctional facilities. Because inmates, staff, and visitors spend extended periods indoors, indoor environmental quality can significantly affect comfort, building performance, and overall facility conditions.

Air that is too dry can contribute to irritated eyes, dry skin, respiratory discomfort, and increased static electricity. Excess humidity can promote mold growth, condensation, and other moisture-related challenges that affect both occupants and buildings. DriSteem humidification, dehumidification, and water treatment solutions help correctional facilities maintain balanced indoor conditions that support occupant well-being, indoor air quality, and long-term building performance.

By maintaining relative humidity within recommended ranges, correctional facilities can create healthier indoor environments while supporting effective facility operations and protecting building assets.

Challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

• COVID-19 behaves as an aerosol virus, comparable to SARS, MERS, and H1N1, and is spread through breathing, speaking, coughing, and sneezing, which makes it transmit more effectively in close quarters.
• COVID-19 has been reported even when adhering to the 6-foot social distancing recommendation, which is nearly impossible for inmates and staff to abide by.
• Lack of or limited on-site medical support can quickly overwhelm staff with COVID-19 cases, necessitating transport of inmates to medical facilities or another prison for medical attention.
• Limited space within correctional facilities creates challenges to isolate individuals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, potentially infecting others.
• According to public health experts, COVID-19 may make a yearly comeback similar to the flu during winter.

Humidity control can reduce the spread of COVID-19

Adding humidity to an indoor space can quickly render viruses inactive and less infectious, ultimately reducing their spread.

• Low ambient humidity reduces droplet size, allowing a prolonged airborne period, which in turn allows for greater travel distance. The low weight due to water loss prevents the virus from being ‘knocked down’ and then cleaned up with usual surface cleaning/hygiene. Extended Airborne time may be 36 to 72 hours, allowing for significant travel of the virus. In addition, low humidity and low ‘droplet weight’ may allow viruses to become airborne again after settling.

Issues caused by low or fluctuating relative humidity

• Illness and Discomfort: Dry indoor air has a negative impact on the overall health of incarcerated people and staff because it allows infections to spread quickly.
• There are real costs associated with health-related issues caused by dry air, including infections requiring increased medical attention for incarcerated people and higher staff absentee rates.  

Resources

Buyer’s Guide: Humidification for Correctional Facilities
Learn more about how issues caused by low or fluctuating humidity levels can negatively affect your staff, inmates, and the surrounding community.

LEARN MORE
Contact your local DriSteem representative for more information.

SOURCES
1. Equal Justice Initiative. 21, August 2020. COVID-19’s Impact on People in Prison. https://eji.org/news/covid-19s-impact-on-people-in-prison/ 

Next steps

Contact your local DriSteem representative to learn more about humidity control for correctional facilities. Use the Find a Rep tool below to find your nearest representative.

Already using humidity control to protect correctional facilities?

For best performance and highest efficiency, existing humidification systems should be checked to determine if any replacement parts are needed, if any other maintenance needs to be performed, and whether there is a software update available. Contact your local DriSteem representative to learn more.