Most prisons have no AC. With deadly Texas heat already here, several new bills could offer relief
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has reported 23 heat-related deaths since 1998 along with many reports of heat-related illnesses. Between ...
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has reported 23 heat-related deaths since 1998 along with many reports of heat-related illnesses. Between 2018 and 2020, temperatures inside some of the uncooled Texas prisons regularly surpassed 110 degrees, topping out at a heat index of 149 degrees in one unit, according to a Texas A&M study. Texas legislators have filed multiple bills seeking to set strict temperature regulations in Texas prisons this session. One bill, introduced by Texas Representative Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, would restrict the range of temperatures to between 65 and 85 degrees.