Amid freezing temperatures, heat conks out at Riverbend Maximum Security prison

Riverbend Maximum Security Prison, where almost 800 of the state’s most dangerous prisoners are house including those on death row, lost its main heating system on New Year’s Day and officials aren’t sure when it will be working again, reports The Tennessean.

Monday evening, temperatures dropped to single digits in Nashville. The National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 5 degrees at 7:16 Tuesday morning, 24 degrees colder than the “normal value” for the day.   (The temperature was still in the teens on Wednesday morning.)

The department implemented “emergency procedures,” including passing out extra blankets and installing portable heaters, (Department of Corrections spokeswoman Neysa) Taylor said.

In a statement, Bobby Straughter, assistant commissioner of operations, lauded the work of the state maintenance staff.

“These folks worked throughout the night in extreme conditions to ensure that everyone was kept safe. We thank them for their service,” Straughter said.

David Sexton, assistant commissioner of prisons, said in a statement “the staff and inmates have been extremely understanding and cooperative as we work to fix this inconvenience.”