Texas is a place where it gets to inferno temperatures in the summer. While most of us enjoy the luxury of having air conditioning in our homes and businesses, others don’t and make the best of it with fans and homemade ACs. However, what if you couldn’t get away from the heat and you were forced to live and sleep in a place where temps reached over 110 degrees?
What a nightmare.
That is what is happening in Texas prisons. Only one-third of the 100 prisons in Texas have air conditioning. According to Texas.gov, the TDCJ has over 145,000 offenders under its care. Many inmates are living in quarters where temperatures reached 90 to 100 degrees, with some reaching higher.
A Lawsuit Was Brought Against Texas Prisons for Lack of Air Conditioning
Bernie Tiede, yes that Bernie, the East Texas mortician who is serving life in prison, filed a lawsuit in 2023 against Texas prisons. Soon many advocate groups joined in the lawsuit. That includes Marci Marie Simmons a former TDCJ prisoner and now an advocate for inmates.
Many argue that inmates don’t deserve the luxury of air conditioning because of the crimes they committed. While some inmates have committed serious crimes, others are serving their time and should not be subjected to life-threatening heat conditions.
Read More: Inside Texas: Two Supermax Prisons, One of Them America’s Worst |
Recently, a judge determined that this is unconstitutional, however, he didn’t require the installation of AC in prison units.
Currently, there are two bills before Texas Congress addressing the lack of air conditioning in prisons.
House Bill 2997 – authored by Rep. John Bryant, would require that the temperature in TDCJ facilities cannot be less than 65 degrees and no more than 85 degrees.
House Bill 1315 -authored by Rep. Martinez Fischer, would require that each cellblock, dorm, and common areas have air conditioning and the temperature must be between 65 degrees and no more than 85 degrees.
Will Texas Prisons Install Air Conditioning in All Units?
The TDCJ has received a large amount of funding for repairs and improvement projects including $85 million for AC installations. The TDCJ requested an additional $118 million to install air conditioning, and if approved for the 26-27 fiscal year it will provide 16,000 more units. According to the TDCJ 35 units are fully air conditioned with 53 units partially air conditioned.
100 Inmates Have Died in Texas Prisons Since January 2025
Texas is a large state and within the state are a lot of prisons. In fact, there are more than 100 units within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Gallery Credit: Lori Crofford
What Is A Day Like In Texas Prisons? A View From Both Sides Of The Bars
Have you ever wondered what life inside a Texas prison is really like? I asked friends who are correction officers and folks who have volunteered at jails. I also asked former inmates, and browsed forums and articles with current and former inmates. Put all together, it paints what I hope is a fairly accurate picture of daily prison life in Texas.
Gallery Credit: Renee Raven
6 Texas Prisons Housing Violent Criminals
After being convicted of a very serious crime Texas inmates could find themselves inside one of these Texas Prisons.
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins
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