Results for: Prison Rights

Prison rights advocates have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, alleging that the lack of air conditioning in most Texas prisons constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The lawsuit highlights the deadly consequences of excessive heat in prisons and the failure of the state to address the issue despite a legislative surplus and evidence of heat-related deaths. Advocates argue that the state has the resources to fund air-conditioning units but lacks the compassion to do so, leaving inmates and staff at risk in sweltering conditions.

In Texas, prison inmates face extreme heat due to a lack of air conditioning in most facilities. A recent lawsuit alleges that these conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment, as temperatures in these uncooled prison cells can exceed 130 degrees. The lawsuit demands that air conditioning be installed, and that prisons be maintained at a temperature below 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Advocates have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, arguing that the lack of air conditioning in most Texas prisons constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Despite Texas’s soaring summer temperatures, many inmates live in uncooled cells that often reach triple digits, posing significant health risks and leading to numerous deaths. The lawsuit aims to declare the state’s prison policy unconstitutional and require prisons to maintain temperatures below 85 degrees Fahrenheit.