Close to 128,000 prisoners in Texas’ prison system are on mandatory lockdown after a series of drug-related inmate homicides, officials said Wednesday, September 6. But as much of the state is expected to be under heat advisories, advocates say the lives of the prisoners are in danger if they don’t have air conditioning units.
Only 30 percent of Texas’ 100 prison units are fully air-conditioned, with the rest having partial or to no air conditioning.
Activists say the temperatures inside Texas prison cells can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.0 C) on hot days.
Heat protocols will still be followed during the lockdown, which will include giving inmates access to ice water, cold showers and areas with air conditioning, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said.
Visits to inmates by their families and others have been canceled during the lockdown as authorities crack down on the smuggling of illegal drugs into the prisons
For more, check out our exclusive content on CGTN Now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The China Report.