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“As another summer of extreme heat continues across Texas, people incarcerated in state prisons without air conditioning are describing the conditions they say they are experiencing behind prison walls.
“Letters shared with KVUE describe headaches, exhaustion and attempts to find relief from the heat. They come as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) continues adding air conditioning to its prison system and a federal judge weighs an ongoing legal battle over extreme heat in state facilities.
“Jennifer Toon [Leading with Conviction™ 2024], executive director of the Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance, shared the letters with KVUE. Toon, who spent years incarcerated in Texas prisons, said the experiences described by the women are familiar to her.
“‘In the constitution it says no cruel and unusual punishment, and we believe these type of extreme temperatures are,’ Toon said.
We believe these type of extreme temperatures are [‘cruel and unusual punishment’].
“One of the letters Toon read to KVUE came from a woman incarcerated at the Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville.
“‘This is another letter from an incarcerated member,’ Toon said. ‘She’s housed at the Lane Murray Unit. She says, ‘Thank you all for the encouragement. We are dealing with the heat exhaustion on this unit, as well. The officers get mad at us from trying to block the sun from getting in, but I am personally having headaches and my energy is depleted, just from baking in these cells.’
“Another letter came from a woman incarcerated at the Hobby Unit.
“‘This is from one of our incarcerated members at the Hobby Unit, which is located in Marlin, Texas,’ Toon said. ‘She said, ‘We aren’t being offered respite at all. We can’t cover windows to try and get some relief from the sun because we get cases or we’re threatened with cases.’
“TDCJ declined KVUE’s request for comment, citing pending litigation.”
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