Marci Marie Simmons receives numerous letters from Texas prisoners expressing their fear of the extreme heat.
One inmate wrote in a letter, “it gets so hot in the dorms the fan literally feels like a blow dryer is blowing hot air on my face.”
“These individuals, who are suffering due to the lack of climate control in Texas prisons, did not receive a death sentence,” Simmons stated.
Simmons, in conjunction with various advocacy groups, is taking legal action against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for cruel and unusual punishment.
The lawsuit alleges that Texas prisoners and guards are “being cooked to death” as a result of un-air-conditioned housing units leading to an average of 14 deaths per year from 2001 to 2019.
Having spent 10 years in these prisons, Simmons recounted the harsh conditions, including using warm sink water and toilet water for relief from the heat.
The TDCJ confirmed the presence of 14 units without A/C, 31 fully climate-controlled units, and 55 with partial A/C.
While the TDCJ has been working to dismiss the lawsuit, the executive director acknowledged that installing A/C systemwide is a priority but cited lack of funding as a hindrance.
RELATED STORY | Feds to close California women’s prison plagued by sex abuse
Texas Representative Carl Sherman argued that with a $30 billion state surplus, the lack of funds is not a valid excuse for not providing adequate cooling in prisons.
Sherman has proposed legislation in multiple sessions to require maintaining temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in all Texas prisons, but has faced obstacles in the Senate.
Governor Gregg Abbott has not addressed calls for a special legislative session to address the issue of heat in Texas prisons.
Simmons emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We need something immediate. People are dying today, so we need something to happen today.”
RELATED STORY | Inmates at this Virginia prison were treated for hypothermia over a dozen times, records show
