At least one prison unit has reached 149 degrees.

Texas prisons house nearly 160,000 inmates and employee 20,000 correctional officers, plus 15,000 other prison staff. There are approximately 115 Texas prisons, and only 30% of them have a/c. 

Temperatures in Texas frequently are above 100 degrees during the summer outside. The average temperature inside Texas prisons is 91.4 degrees. Five units have average temperature over 100 degrees in the housing units. 

Inmates are at risk of dying in their cells from the heat. Many of them have no fans, and windows do not open. Some inmates faint and do not receive medical attention.

It would likely be safe to say most Texans have a family member who is or has been an inmate or a prison employee. 

These are not humane conditions that inmates and employees are being forced to endure many days out of the year. We implore the State of Texas to air condition all areas of all Texas prisons immediately. If you can't do it for the inmates, do it for the employees and their families.

Thank you.