The Texas prison system's lack of air conditioning is the focus of a new report that says many inmates fear dying or falling ill from the heat and not enough is being done to address the dangerous conditions.
In the wake of the settlement, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, formalized many of the heat mitigation policies it had been following, including providing water and ice, creating respite areas where inmates could go to cool down and allowing inmates to purchase cooling items such as fans or towels.
Other inmates described seeing prisoners pass out from exhaustion as they worked outside in the heat and not being allowed to go to respite areas where they could cool down. Earlier in the meeting, Bryan Collier, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said in the last 10 days, the average temperature inside the housing areas at non-air-conditioned prisons was 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with five units having average temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
But Collier told lawmakers the prison system has"a wide array of things we do to manage heat," including providing extra ice and water in housing areas and training staff to monitor temperatures and shut down activities when temperatures get too high.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Deadly Heat is an Ongoing Concern at Texas Prisons: ReportA new report says many Texas prison inmates fear dying or falling gravely ill from the hot weather and not enough is being done to address the dangerous conditions.
Read more »
Report: Deadly heat remains concern at Texas prisonsMany inmates fear dying or falling gravely ill from the hot weather and believe actions taken by officials to mitigate the dangerous conditions continue to fall short, according to a new report.
Read more »
Report: Deadly heat remains concern at Texas prisonsA new report says many Texas prison inmates fear dying or falling gravely ill from the hot weather and believe actions taken by officials to mitigate the dangerous conditions continue to fall short.
Read more »
Unforgiving heat wave in Texas and Southern Plains to worsen next weekSome areas already seeing their hottest summer on record are about to get hotter, with highs climbing to 102 to 107 degrees.
Read more »
Twisting in the wind: Texas faces blackouts as heat wave strains windmill-reliant power gridDespite producing more oil than almost anywhere else in the world, the Lone Star State falls far behind many parts of the country when it comes to the reliability of its energy grid.
Read more »
Smog levels in Texas surge during heat wave, bringing worst summer air quality in a decadeDespite the high levels of smog, state officials are pushing back on ozone pollution controls proposed by the EPA, arguing such rules would compromise the electric grid. Texas TexasHeat AirPollution GregAbbott ozone ClimateChange TexasGrid
Read more »