"California law requires that incarcerated people have access to showers with either hot and cold running water, or "tempered" water that is set to a specific temperature. On Feb. 4, Moriarty said that current readings show the jail's water temperatures to be "within an acceptable range." When lower temperatures were identified, she said, the issue was "promptly addressed." But people on the inside said they haven't noticed any changes, and cold showers remain the norm."
"San Francisco has been incarcerating more people since 2024. County Jail No. 2, at 425 Seventh St., can house up to 392 people and was close to capacity throughout January. Arrests for drug crimes, in particular, are on the rise. About two-thirds of those in San Francisco's jails have a substance-use disorder. The intake center at 425 Seventh St. is where many begin to withdraw."
""Everyone is kicking, so everyone's throwing up in the cell and the open area," one person being held in the jail told Mission Local. Another man said he spent at least 24 hours in a "holding tank," "dopesick" and surrounded by "vomit, spit and shit," before being released. When he tried to wash his hands, he said, there was no hot water."
County Jail No. 2 experienced extremely limited hot water access in January, prompting many incarcerated people to stop taking showers and increasing stress and perceptions of filth in an understaffed jail system. The sheriff's office acknowledged concerns and reported Feb. 4 readings within an acceptable temperature range, with identified lower temperatures promptly addressed. The facility was near capacity in January amid rising drug arrests; about two-thirds of people in city jails have a substance-use disorder, and many begin withdrawal in the intake center. Firsthand accounts describe vomiting and soiled holding areas and the absence of hot water for basic hygiene.
Read at Mission Local
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