Texas Department of Criminal Justice Director Bryan Collier admitted for the first time that heat caused the death of three inmates in state prisons, and expressed a desire for more funds to air condition all state lockups.
Collier testified before U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in a hearing regarding a lawsuit filed by prisoner Bernhardt Tiede II in April, which alleged that Texas prisons are “cooking prisoners alive” due to lack of air conditioning in justice facilities.
The lawsuit was preceded by state Rep. Carl Sherman’s (D-DeSoto) House Bill (HB) 1355, which mandated that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) ensure indoor prison facility temperatures are maintained between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, in accordance with a 1994 Texas Administrative Code requirement. The bill reached the Calendars Committee but was never set for consideration on the House floor; Tiede’s lawsuit followed seven months later.
A hearing was held in federal court last week to discuss arguments regarding the need for air conditioning in Texas prisons, and whether the heat experienced by inmates is an unconstitutional form of cruel and unusual punishment.
Among the testifiers was Tona Southards-Naranjo, the mother of a 36-year-old prisoner who allegedly died from heat while imprisoned at the Estelle Unit in Huntsville.
“I myself turned my son in, in tough love. I believed in doing so that my son would be rehabilitated … and he would come home a different young man,” she said. “He did come home a different young man. A dead one.”
Directing her comments at Collier, Naranjo continued, “Could I see your hands for a second? I just wanted to see if the blood of my son were on them.”
Collier offered his condolences, thanked Naranjo for sharing her experience, and added, “We pray that you can find some level of peace.”
According to KUT News, Collier has said he “wants to install air conditioning in every state lockup” but “just doesn’t have the cash to do it.”
He acknowledged that the Texas Legislature earmarked $85 million towards installing air conditioning in state prisons as a part of its 2024-2025 budget, but hopes to receive more funds next year.
“Words are easy. Actions matter,” said Jeff Edwards, attorney for Tiede as well as several co-plaintiff advocacy groups: the Texas Prisons Community Advocates, Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance, Texas Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, and Coalition for Texans with Disabilities.
Edwards added, “While I wish that TDCJ would do the right thing on its own, my experience in litigating against this agency has taught me the exact opposite.”
