Legal Battle Over Lack of Air Conditioning in Texas Prisons Endangers Inmates’ Health

The legal battle over a lack of air conditioning in Texas prisons has taken a new turn as advocates and a former inmate, Bernie Tiede, who inspired the movie “Bernie,” join forces to fight for better conditions for prisoners.

Tiede, who has diabetes and hypertension, has alleged that his health is at risk due to the extreme heat in his prison cell. Only about 30% of Texas’ 100 prison units are fully air conditioned, with the rest having partial or no air conditioning. Advocates claim that temperatures inside Texas prisons often exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, putting inmates at risk of heat-related illnesses.

Attorneys for prisoners’ rights groups have filed a motion in federal court to join Tiede’s lawsuit and expand it to impact all Texas prisoners. They are asking a federal judge to find that the current policies on dealing with excessive heat in Texas prisons are unconstitutional and to require the prison system to maintain temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Director Richard Linklater, who made the movie inspired by Tiede’s case, spoke out in support of the lawsuit, saying that inmates are at risk of death due to the extreme heat in Texas prisons.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has said that they are working to install more air conditioning and provide measures to lessen the effects of hot temperatures for inmates and employees. However, advocacy groups argue that the measures are not enough and that there have likely been heat-related deaths in Texas prisons.

As summer approaches, the fight for better conditions in Texas prisons continues, with advocates calling for urgent action to protect inmates from extreme heat.