As a deadly heat wave continues to scorch the Southwest, a vulnerable and often overlooked group of individuals is bearing the brunt of its consequences – prisoners.
In Texas, approximately 100,000 inmates are confined in large facilities without adequate air conditioning, leaving them to endure unbearable conditions in aging prisons.
One anonymous inmate shared his harrowing experience of living in a Texas prison cell without air conditioning.
He likened it to standing over a hot grill on a scorching day, with the heat becoming increasingly suffocating.
Unable to give a phone interview due to prison rules, he expressed his concerns about potential retribution from administrators.
The data obtained from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice revealed that last month, the 68 prisons without air conditioning maintained temperatures averaging well over 85 degrees, which would be considered a safety violation for county jails.
Shockingly, some facilities reached temperatures as high as 106 degrees, measured at 3 pm, the hottest part of the day.
However, it is worth noting that the heat inside the prison reflects a buildup of previous hours’ scorching temperatures.
Advocates claim that heat estimates go even higher, reaching up to 115 degrees, and in taller facilities, the heat rises to the third and fourth floors, exacerbating the situation.
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The Struggle of Texas Inmates Without Air Conditioning
Former inmate Don Aldaco recounted spending 14 years in several Texas prisons without air conditioning and believed the temperatures on the third and fourth floors exceeded 150 degrees.
He described the nights as miserable, waking up drenched in sweat, unable to escape the extreme heat.
Aldaco’s experience underscores the dire conditions faced by inmates during the blistering summer months, as they struggle to find relief and adequate rest in their stifling cells.
The situation poses serious health risks, especially for heat-sensitive individuals and those with pre-existing medical conditions like asthma.
Despite the growing concerns over the impact of extreme heat on prisoners’ well-being, the Texas prison system’s efforts to address the issue have fallen short.
The state currently has around 42,000 cooled beds for 145,000 prisoners, leaving many inmates without access to air conditioning.
While the prison system has attempted to increase the number of cooled beds, advocates argue that these efforts have not been sufficient to protect inmates from extreme heat.
The lack of air conditioning in state prisons has resulted in numerous deaths over the years, with a 2022 study suggesting that 271 prisoner deaths in Texas facilities without air conditioning between 2001 and 2019 may have been attributable to extreme heat days.
Alarmingly, between June 1 and July 13, 78 inmates died throughout all TDCJ prisons – a significant increase compared to the previous six weeks and the same period in the milder summer of 2021.
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Source: TPR, New York Times