Marci Marie Simmons receives numerous letters from Texas prisoners expressing fear of the extreme heat conditions.
One inmate described the heat in the dorms as unbearable, with the fan feeling like a blow dryer blowing hot air.
Simmons highlighted that these individuals did not receive a death sentence, yet they are suffering due to the lack of climate control in Texas prisons.
Simmons, along with advocacy groups, is suing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for cruel and unusual punishment.
The lawsuit alleges that un-air-conditioned housing units have led to numerous deaths each year from 2001 to 2019.
Having spent a decade in these prisons, Simmons recounted the uncomfortable conditions such as warm sink water and using toilet water to cool down.
The TDCJ confirmed that 14 units have no A/C, while 31 are fully climate controlled and 55 have partial A/C.
Despite efforts to dismiss the lawsuit, the TDCJ expressed installing A/C systemwide as a priority, citing financial constraints.
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Representative Carl Sherman emphasized that with a surplus of $30 billion, lack of funds should not be an issue in addressing the heat in Texas prisons.
Sherman has proposed legislation multiple times to mandate temperature regulations in prisons, but has not received a vote in the Texas Senate.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott has not addressed calls for a special legislative session regarding prison conditions.
Simmons highlighted the disparity in climate control for animals owned by the TDCJ compared to the treatment of inmates.
A federal judge in Austin is considering emergency relief for Texas inmates, with Simmons being the first witness to testify during the hearing.
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