TEXAS, USA — The Texas Department of Criminal Justice released a list of prisons and their air conditioning status as temperatures continue to rise across the state.
Currently, there are 14% of prisons that have no air conditioning in Texas. 55% of prisons have partial air conditioning and 31% of prisons have full air conditioning.
In East Texas, two prisons do not have air conditioning. Six prisons have partial air conditioning and six prisons have full air conditioning.
Below is a list of prisons with full, partial, no air conditoning across East Texas:
- Billy Moore Correctional Center (Overton) - Full air conditioning
- Beto (Tennessee Colony, Anderson County) - Partial air conditioning
- Coffield (Tennessee Colony, Anderson County) - None
- Michael (Tennessee Colony, Anderson County) - Partial air conditioning
- Powledge (Tennessee Colony, Anderson County) - Partial air conditioning
- Bradshaw (Henderson) - Partial air conditioning
- Diboll (Diboll) - Full air conditioning
- Duncan (Diboll) - Full air conditioning
- East Texas Treatment Center (Henderson) - Full air conditioning
- Hodge (Rusk) - Full air conditioning
- Johnston (Winnsboro) - Partial air conditioning
- Skyview (Rusk) - Full air conditioning
- Wainwright (Lovelady) - No air conditioning
- Telford (New Boston) - Partial air conditioning
TDJC spokesperson, Amanda Hernandez said the department is making changes to assure everyone in their facilities are safe from hot temperatures this summer.
"Core to this department’s mission is protecting the public, our employees, and the inmates in our custody. It is a responsibility that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice takes seriously," Hernandez said.
Multiple measures have been taken to keep inmates safe.
"Everyone has access to ice and water. Fans are strategically placed in facilities to move the air. Inmates have access to a fan and they can access air conditioned respite areas when needed," Hernandez said.
Some inmates who are potentially at a higher risk of heat-realted illnesses receive priority placement in an area that is air-conditioned due due to their age, health conditions, or medicaitions.
"These individuals are identified through an automated heat sensitivity score that uses information from the inmate’s electronic health record," Hernandez said.
Hernandez said over the past years, the agency has increased their number of cooled beds in the facilities.
"Since Fiscal Year 2018-19, TDCJ has added air conditioning to 3,598 beds," Hernandez said. "Additionally, there is an active project for 2023 that will add 5,861 cooled beds. This will bring the total to 9,459 beds added between 2018-2023."
TDJC is committed to make improvements to keep their staff and inmates safe from the heat.