Texas prison inmates ‘cooked alive’ in unair-conditioned facility investigation Claim. Obtained documents texas newsroomEven though inmates died with body temperatures approaching 107 degrees, officials blamed their deaths on causes other than the heat, according to a Texas public radio station partnership.
In 2023, a Texas inmate filed a litigation Challenging the state’s refusal to adequately control heat levels. The lawsuit claims the state violated state laws regarding prison temperature and violated inmates’ Eighth Amendment rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
“Extreme heat has wreaked havoc on Texas prisons for years, while illness and death have increased dramatically. As temperatures rise due to global climate change, the problem will only get worse. Last summer was the second hottest on record summer in texas, there are some [Texas Department of Criminal Justice] The number of units reaches a staggering 149 [degrees] Fahrenheit,” an amended indictment filed in April reads. “Between 2001 and 2019, intense heat in Texas prisons without air conditioning caused or contributed to the deaths of an average of 14 people each year.
Only about 30% of Texas prisons are air-conditioned. While state law requires prison temperatures to remain between 65 and 85 degrees, daily high temperatures are among the highest in dozens of state prisons. In the summer of 2023, the temperature in a prison at Garza West remained above 100 degrees for 11 consecutive days.
this week, texas newsroom A series of documents related to the lawsuit were released. The report details the deaths of several inmates, with state officials acknowledging that extreme heat may have been a factor, but not a direct cause.
A 50-year-old inmate had a core body temperature of 106.9 degrees when he died, and a 32-year-old inmate had a core body temperature of 107.5 degrees when he died. Elizabeth Hagerty, 37, died last June of heat rash and gastrointestinal problems. The temperature inside her cell was over 95 degrees at the time of her death.
“[The Texas Department of Criminal Justice] “TDCJ does not count these deaths as heat deaths because the primary causes of death are other causes, such as underlying medical conditions, drug overdoses, etc.,” a TDCJ spokesperson said. Texas Newsroom.
However, not everyone agrees.
“It is an absolute lie to suggest to the community, to the citizens of Texas, that high temperatures are not causing deaths in the Texas prison system,” said Jeff Edwards, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. texas newsroom. “It’s outrageous, it’s wrong and that’s the focus of our case.”
By refusing to install adequate thermal control systems, Texas officials not only imprisoned their prisoners but also subjected them to apparently brutal conditions. Going to jail doesn’t mean enduring life-threatening heat.
