The Texas House has passed a significant piece of legislation that aims to bring respite to inmates suffering under extreme heat conditions in state prisons. House Bill 3006, which won preliminary approval last Thursday with an 89-43 vote, mandates the installation of climate control systems in Texas prisons by the end of 2032, ensuring temperatures are maintained between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit within key areas such as hospitals, housing units, and administrative spaces. As reported by CBS Austin, this comes as a response to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman stating that the lack of system-wide air conditioning violates the U.S. Constitution.
The bill requires a substantial budget, set to occur in three phases, with each capped at $100 million, as per the information shared by Fox 4 News. The first phase is due for completion by December 31, 2028, followed by the second phase in 2030, and concluding with the final phase by December 31, 2032. Despite this legislative push, an internal investigation raised questions regarding temperature records, with an investigator hired by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice concluding that some of the agency’s temperature logs are false, as per a statement acquired by CBS Austin.
In a noteworthy Friday vote of 79-39, the bill garnered enough support to move to the Senate. This action reflects an ongoing battle to correct what many advocates and experts have deemed as severe health and safety risks. Echoing this sentiment, Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, a co-sponsor of the bill, emphasized the bill's importance, telling CBS Austin, "The bill targets key housing units and medical spaces, kitchens, and administrative offices in state prison facilities to ensure the most critical spaces are temperature-controlled."
Currently, more than two-thirds of Texas’s prison inmates reside in facilities with no full air conditioning in housing areas, a situation that has led to multiple heat-related illnesses and fatalities. A November 2022 study cited by Fox 4 News found that 13%, or 271, of the deaths in Texas prisons without universal air conditioning between 2001 and 2019 may be attributed to extreme heat.
As the bill awaits the Senate's decision, the need for comprehensive climate control in prisons remains a critical topic for those incarcerated, the staff who oversee them, and the lawmakers who have the capacity to reshape their living conditions.
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