As the Earth’s temperature sets record highs, the Texas prison system seems to be turning a blind eye to a disturbing trend that’s hitting too close to home. A group of passionate Democratic lawmakers recently cried out for a comprehensive investigation into a chilling summer statistic: dozens of prison deaths believed to be linked to scorching heat and less-than-adequate prison conditions.
Championing the cause, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin, Greg Casar, Jasmine Crockett, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Katie Porter, and their colleagues penned a fervent letter to the House Oversight chair Rep. James Comer. Their demand? Shine a light on the grim circumstances of Texas state prisons, where approximately 70% don’t have adequate air conditioning systems.
Hitting hard on the climate change debate, they highlighted, “Our planet recently experienced the hottest month ever recorded, with Texas and other southern states measuring some of the hottest temperatures on Earth.” Given the searing heat, the pressing question remains: Were some of these deaths preventable?
There’s a rather grim sentiment among many Texas state legislators: they see making inmates endure blistering heat as an effective way to be ‘tough on crime’. The Dems argue, however, that skimping on essential cooling measures places not just inmates but also prison staff in jeopardy, exposing them to severe heat-borne illnesses, nausea, dizziness, and tragically, even death.
But just how bad is the situation?
Data from The Texas Tribune paints a distressing picture: roughly 41 individuals have met their end in Texas prisons this summer. Among them, 12 succumbed to cardiac arrest or heart failure, while causes of the other 29 deaths remain elusive. And this could just be the tip of the iceberg, considering Texas prisons take up to a month to report inmate deaths.
While the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) hasn’t linked any of this year’s tragedies to heat, claiming there hasn’t been a heat-related death since 2012, family members of the deceased and advocates for the incarcerated cry foul. Their accusations? Many of these casualties are direct results of sweltering heat and appalling prison conditions.
Amidst the fiery debate, heartbreaking testimonies emerge. Cece Perez’s fiance, Martin Martinez, incarcerated in one such prison, described harrowing episodes of waking up, gasping for breath, feeling as if someone was stifling him. Tona Southards Naranjo, mourning the loss of her son to what she believes was excessive heat in prison, exclaimed, “They’re cooking our inmates in the Texas prison system.”
The critical discourse is clear: While the climate change debate rages on, in the sweltering cells of Texas prisons, the consequences of escalating global temperatures become undeniably real and urgently need to be addressed.
