As Texas suffers an intense heatwave, current and former inmates are describing dangerously hot conditions inside state prisons. KXAN's Ryan Chandler brings us some of their stories and the failed fight for change at the Texas Capitol.
The claim that "no inmates have died" of heat since 2012 is BS. A coroner spoke of being harassed when they tried to list an inmate's death as hyperthermia. Additionally, extreme heat greatly increases the risk of heart attack, seizures, and strokes, which is what deceased inmates _are_ recorded as dying of in far greater numbers during the summer months. Sxicide attempts go up drastically during that time period, as well. Conditions are so unbearable that inmates would literally rather DIE than continue suffering them. If that doesn't matter to someone, they are simply not a good person.
Here in NC the medium custody units intentionally turn off the AC. Every time a door opens, and a cool breeze blows through, we are instructed to shut the door. You can also see the HVAC duct in every dormitory, and when you step into an office, from the hallway, you can feel the freon. Big Rx likes testing 'passivity" in human populations
The constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment. Even if they are criminals our society is supposed to be civilized. Keeping prisoners in horrid conditions is cruel and unusual and violates the constitution
A lot of them don't have victims. Getting popped with controlled substance can get you years...and even if you don't care about inmates . Do you think the staff that's just trying to make a living deserve to suffer too?
its called correction not punishment. These people will be your neighbors soon and the more you treat them like animals the more they act like animals.
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There are elderly, disabled, poor and homeless people that don't have air conditioning and most of them haven't committed a crime. Hell, some elderly can't afford to eat and these inmates get 3 meals a day. The prison could buy a commercial fan for each floor, though.
1:54 Inmates have repeatedly said that they're denied "respite" areas when requested. Fans only blow the hot air around and ice water only does so much. This is absolutely disgusting. The punishment is being in jail/prison, not getting baked alive.
@@Ace1000ks19751982how could you say it’s not like it’s a fancy hotel? Nobody is asking for them to get food delivered up to them they are asking not to die
Let's summarize what's happening. The state of texas has a prison population of 133,772, 13% of that is roughly 17,390. That's a fatality rating that could exceed the number of domestic car accident-related deaths per year if no action is taken. If any of the inmates living under these conditions had a lawyer and some knowledge on their constitutional rights, they could sue the state for violating their 8th amendment rights and could even go so far as to have those prisons forcibly shut down unless sufficient living conditions are met. And for those that may think that these inmates deserve to suffer like this, try putting yourselves in this hypothetical situation. Imagine being locked in a closet-sized porta-potty in the middle of the open, beating sun, except when you call for help everyone else just ignores you. Not because of what you did to become an inmate, just BECAUSE you're an inmate, and you're left inside of this porta-potty out in the heat. Don't you think that'd be a cruel and unusual form of executing people that aren't desirable in society? Be careful how you answer that, because if you say yes, you're acknowledging the fact that it's cruel and unusual, but implying that those conditions could be used to execute people in a cruel and unusual manner. If you say no, then you're an individual that lives with their head in the sand and doesn't understand anything unless it happens to you.
Instead of providing Internet, email, laptops & tech for TDCJ inmates that’s used to carry out crime from behind bars, provide AC so that employees can avoid heatstroke & be more effective on the job.
Those things are not provided unless enrolled in classes as certain units. hell they barely have phones. Oh and most of the crimes that happen behind bars is with the help of the workers nothing could get done with out the workers help.
Nope but it's supposed to be humane. Don't call me an ex con or something stupid because I've never been locked up, but at the same time, it's pretty fucked up that animal shelters are more humane than prisons.
They got themselves incarcerated for committing crimes. There's cold water showers and they can use towels as fans. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Idle hands are the devil's workshop.
Maybe if you didn't waste so much time on youtube you would be able to afford AC. A lot of you that post these comments sound like bitter old farts that whine about everything.
There's not, in texas you have to provide a cooling system in any rental property in Texas by state law and as someone who grew up in West Texas Ive seen people with dirt floors but never with out an air conditioner.
@@whitewolfsthoughts700Not true. AC has to be provided but if it’s not working you have to sue and many don’t have the resources to do that so they live without AC. I feel badly for them; not for people who have committed crimes and are in jail.
Yep n no one not the warden or officers care about inmates.they are some1s family. And ik ppl say well do the crime do the time. Yrs true but when no medical issues aren't getting any attention.and or other inmates mess w ure fam in there and get murdered no one cares but the family. It's a sad world we live in. Prison goes by race gang or if u go solo. Its so sad that many ppl die because the state lacks ❤️ heart. I pray 4 evry prisoner good or bad some in there 4 big crimes while others suffer for petty stuff. Well I pray everyone stay safe.❤
So if you break the law you should be comfortable when you go to jail while the people in the public are uncomfortable by the illegal actions that you commit
Not every inmate is a violent scumbag. Plus, society has to be governed by higher standards. It's doesn't have to be the hilton; but at the same time, basic facilities have to be provided. Losing your freedom is a big punishment in itself.
You should be accommodated with humane living conditions, and I've never been in prison, so don't bother calling me an ex con cause that's not the case. It's pretty bad when animal shelters are more humane than prisons.
You are committing a crime by agreeing with cruel and unusual punishment. So by your own logic you should be locked up and uncomfortable since you don’t believe in the constitution
My sister is in Murray unit prison in gatesville her and other inmates witnessed how Elizabeth hagerty was treated the day before her death and yes it is very true they are dying of heat and lack of water! My sister said that the other day my sister got out of work at 7:30 pm and they refused to let them shower properly force them back in their cells and refused to give them water they came in at 10 p.m. to fill the water coolers and the guard came by and told them he will give them water when he feels like it they did not get water again until 4:30 a.m. when it was breakfast time I have already called and spoke with the warden requesting that an investigation be done upon this guard
@@bobdan9856 at the murray unit my sister along with MANY other only have hot water working in their cells. In my sister's when she presses the cold button down gard enough just the smell of sewer comes out no water so yeah in 100+ heat she has full access to hot water. And about the showers they are SUPPOSED to have full access to the showers but at the murray unit they had been keeping them locked in their cells pretty much 24/7 except for work meals and showers. But like I said they weren't even allowed access to regular showers. Yes they are in prison but no they are not supposed to be left to die .. just cause they don't care. My sister said that it has gotten a little better they are being let out of their cells more often and so far they're doing better on the water she said and I was informed that they put AC at the Murray unit into place has 14 people with medical issues where he could be a problem they move those people to that housing... That is completely understandable! Amuch needed blessing for those people. Now... The 2nd AC went in the housing area with the inmates who are so bad they are not allowed out of their cells at all. So everyone else must continue to suffer. God bless them all. I pray the warden gets her prison in line and gets rid of the guards who are just there for the power trip. And by the way sure... Lol.. I write that a guard refused them water and said you'll get water when I give you water... Your kind response is... They get water in their cells?? 🤣 Wow i pray for u sir.
@@bobdan9856dehydration is only one of the many physiological response to heat. Any temperature beyond 40 C (104 F) is consider harmful to human body. If I put you beside Chernobyl and give u a radiation suit, are you willing to live there for couple of months?
@@mastersonogashira1796 I didn’t choose to commit crimes and go to jail. There are consequences to your actions. I choose not to commit crimes therefore I choose to not go to jail. Your Chernobyl comparison is a very bad fallacy. No one chooses to live around the reactor after the massive steam explosion and fire.
I don't feel sorry for the prisoners that are in there for rape (especially of a child) or murder. Maybe it will give them a little taste of hell and they will think about their actions. My ex husband is in coffield and I hope he is roasting. I hope he thinks about what he did to our daughter and suffers every day for the rest of his life.
There was also a lot of other prisoners in there for such smaller things so maybe have some sympathy that prisoners are dying left and right for no good reason
@@bubbleslovebird4974Your response is a total oxymoron. You talk about “dummies” but yet you can’t even distinguish a noun from a possessive word! 😂 You are also ignorant.. you do know that there at are serving time for crimes which they did NOT commit. Get your money back from devry or whatever school system you attended; they miserable failed you, dimwit.
I spent 5 yrs on tdcj at Segovia, which is no longer around, but at times, the dorms were recorded at being 130 degrees inside with fans pushing hot around. Pure torture and inhumane.
I don’t have any sympathy for them. United States military personnel have had to serve in far worse conditions then these prisoners. Do you think soldiers get air conditioned tents when they served in Iraq.
Because some people steal Because they too poor and can't find a job or Because you know unfair laws that the innocent go to prison some people don't deserve that
I got sent there because I was in the midst of depression and had a drug problem. Failed a few UAs while on bond and got sent to a unit with no AC. I had a job, paid my taxes, and never commited a crime while on bond. The system is a joke.
As a civilized society we can’t allow barbaric punishment like this! Punishment has to fit the crime, cooking them alive is just excessive, the death penalty is already a crazy concept, knowing anyone can get it is psychotic
My thing is the Texas prison system makes BILLIONS of dollars from prison labor. Yet, there is not enough money for air conditioning. I get that these are criminals, but they are there to serve a sentence and not die from heat exhaustion. It’s like the state issued a slow death sentence for the i Kate’s. My sympathy goes especially to those who are wrongfully incarcerated.
The women’s prisons actually have the best air filtration out of all the TDC prisons. I spent 7 years in Cofield unit. No AC or fans. On constant lockdowns you get no flowing air. I ended up with a heart condition due to the heat and now have a pacemaker and permanent damage
Thank you @KXAN_News for your continuing coverage of this AWFUL Situation in Texas Prisons. As the one woman said, we have to admit what our intentions are. Are we holding people to create better Neighbors, or torturing them.
Isn't that why you broke the law, to prove how tough you are? What, a hot building took all your tough away? Why should my tax money be spent to make you comfortable?
If even one of them is innocent or sentenced for nonviolent crimes, and I’d say that's statistically probable, then that's enough of a reason to care about the inmates.
Society has to be more humane than many of the inmates locked up. Not all are murders and rapists, and like it or not, states have to provide basic essentials for living.
For the most part only Hardened criminals end up in Federal and State prisons people with felonies and repeat offenders. Don't like the conditions of prison don't land in prison. Follow the laws. I have no pity for these people.
@@davidjo9683 They’re not being hyperbolic when they say the inmates are being cooked alive. Many have died of hyperthermia as a result of the lack of air conditioning.
They have cooling towers on these units and they have vents for exhausting heat on the roofs but they do not use them. The guards the horses and the dogs have air-condition .
It's ridiculous all yall defending this criminals lol!!! Behave do right in life so you don't have to live life like that it's not that hard!!! Must be nice this made the news!! Focus on better things kxan!!!!
The new story wasn't ,"defending criminals" as you claimed. Like it or not but prisons have to keep inmates and correction officers safe. If both inmates and correctional officers have needed medical attention which may have been connected to extreme heat, this may be something worth looking into.
Sorry dudes if ya don't wanna be a grilled pork chop don't do the crime.. no sympathy here.. Good BBQ I bet though for the serial killer cannibals inside😂
Dang! This is America...this shouldn't be happening here. Regardless of what these folks have done crimewise, they are still someone's son, daughter, mom,Dad...☹️☹️
I went to war in Iraq where Temps reached 135-140 degrees fpr three years.Did you ever once hear troops bitching about the heat? When they where in metal hummers with no armor no ac...let's put this in reality...if our troops don't get it our prisoners better not get it either.
Maybe don't do the crime if you don't want to cook in prison. Besides. This is nothing compared to max security prisons. They are so bad thers rats running across your feet. The cell door's don't lock. Most officers that work there don't do a proper head count because it's that dangerous. They lost a guy because of that. Most gates inside separating arias stay open 24/7 and you have to worry about getting gang raped not only buy inmate's but buy fellow officers to. So yeah put that in your pipe and smoke it.
THIS is -as of today- the forever home of Burgos 🎉 The evil individual that violently stabbed his own son and mother. Begins serving his double life sentence. Let your people know IJS
Does her shirt apply to sex offenders? Or just people that had probation violations and never acknowledged the crime? Problem with emotional slogans instead of thoughtful arguments
Cant say I agree, if I fail to work and pay taxes then the power company will shut off my AC as well. If you have resources then build shaded outdoor facilities with fans, that was cool enough for the settlers of this great nation.
I care about the staff…I worked at TDCJ at the Hughes Unit and yes it does get hot but you get through it, I carried a towel and water bottle with me on the units
@@olgaflores354 Democrats do some good things but the bad just outweigh them. They kill babies in the womb and pervert and mutilate children. Republicans do some bad things as well, like in this case - they leave prisoners burning in unbearable temperatures. They also show little to no regard for animals. If only there was a party that embraced goodness in all areas.
Poor guys I feel so bad for them not having to go to work get fed for free. Maybe they should of gotten a job and obeyed the law to take care of their kids and pay their bills that’s the hardest job ever but still wanna complain about their easy ass situation.
