Temperatures inside Texas prison units regularly reach 110 degrees, new report says

A new report released this month found temperatures inside some Texas prison units "have been shown to regularly reach 110 degrees and in at least one unit have topped 149 degrees." Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center scrutinized heat mitigation policies used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The findings were informed by surveys from 309 incarcerated individuals across the state collected between June 2018 and 2020, according to a release from Texas A&M University. According to the report, only 30 percent of Texas prison units are fully air-conditioned, and Texas is one of 13 states that does not have universal air conditioning in state prisons.

"There are 100 TDCJ units, 31 have full AC, 55 have partial AC, and 14 have no AC," Texas Department of Criminal Justice Director of communications Amanda Hernandez told CNN in an email. She added, "We take numerous precautions to lessen the effects of hot temperatures for those incarcerated within our facilities." The department manages inmates in state prisons, state jails, and private correctional facilities contracting with the state.The report warned "increasing annual temperatures and the increase of days over 100 degrees in Texas will continue to exacerbate the degradation of health for both incarcerated people and staff." Texas has had at least four heat waves this season, a hot streak which started affecting the state before the official start of summer CNN previously reported. Since May 1, more than half their days have come with some level of heat alert. Texas A&M University research assistant professor J. Carlee Purdum presented the report's findings to Texas lawmakers last week during testimony for the Texas House Appropriations Committee.