Prisons /tags/prisons Prisons en-US Copyright KUT News 2025 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:07:11 GMT Federal judge says heat in Texas prisons is unconstitutional, does not order immediate AC /texas/2025-03-26/texas-prison-heat-lawsuit-federal-judge-ruling Judge Robert Pitman says inmates who sued the state could win their case but that the fix is not easy or cheap. Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:07:11 GMT /texas/2025-03-26/texas-prison-heat-lawsuit-federal-judge-ruling Lauren McGaughy Texas prison staff falsified records about temperatures behind bars, internal investigation finds /crime-justice/2025-03-21/texas-prison-jail-investigation-heat-hot-false-falsified The investigation was triggered by a federal judge, who questioned the state’s recordkeeping. Inmates are suing the state, alleging the heat inside the state’s dozens of un-air conditioned prisons is dangerous. Fri, 21 Mar 2025 09:00:00 GMT /crime-justice/2025-03-21/texas-prison-jail-investigation-heat-hot-false-falsified Lauren McGaughy Texas prisoners, including death row inmates, may be able to vote under little-known elections law /news/2024-10-02/texas-election-voting-rights-felony-inmate Under a little-known Texas elections law, state prison inmates who are actively appealing their convictions are eligible to register and vote. Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:24:53 GMT /news/2024-10-02/texas-election-voting-rights-felony-inmate Lauren McGaughy Too much heat, not enough funding: State of Texas defends lack of prison A/C in federal court /crime-justice/2024-08-03/texas-prison-heat-ac-federal-court-hearing The state of Texas is being sued over the lack of air conditioning in its prisons, where indoor temperatures can top 100 degrees in the summer. In federal court, inmates detailed the extreme measures they’ve taken to get out of the heat, like starting fires or inflicting self-harm. Sat, 03 Aug 2024 11:00:00 GMT /crime-justice/2024-08-03/texas-prison-heat-ac-federal-court-hearing Lauren McGaughy An inmate’s body temp was 107.5 when he died. The state of Texas says heat did not kill him. /crime-justice/2024-07-29/investigation-texas-prison-heat-inmate-deaths-ac-autopsy-lawsuit Newly released autopsies show extreme temperatures in state prisons may have contributed to multiple recent deaths behind bars. But the state says heat hasn’t killed any prisoners in more than a decade. A lawsuit challenging Texas prison heat protocols will be heard in federal court on Tuesday. Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:00:00 GMT /crime-justice/2024-07-29/investigation-texas-prison-heat-inmate-deaths-ac-autopsy-lawsuit Lauren McGaughy Literary group accuses Texas prisons of censoring books incarcerated people can receive /crime-justice/2023-10-06/literary-group-accuses-texas-prisons-of-censoring-books-incarcerated-people-can-receive Prison book programs have been sending free books to Texas prisons for years, but recently, they've been told they're no longer allowed to under a Texas Department of Criminal Justice policy they say they've never heard of before. Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:31:50 GMT /crime-justice/2023-10-06/literary-group-accuses-texas-prisons-of-censoring-books-incarcerated-people-can-receive Toluwani Osibamowo On Texas' death row, Dungeons & Dragons offers a chance for new role /texasstandard/2023-09-14/dungeons-dragons-dnd-texas-death-row-inmates-keri-blakinger “This is one situation in which they can take control of their narrative, so they can rewrite the story and envision a world in which they are not seen as the bad guys, but the heroes who can save the world.� Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT /texasstandard/2023-09-14/dungeons-dragons-dnd-texas-death-row-inmates-keri-blakinger Shelly Brisbin Deadly heat in Texas prisons sounds 'cruel and unusual.' Why is it still happening? /crime-justice/2023-08-31/texas-prisoner-deaths-ac-air-conditioning-prison-heat The courts, along with federal and state lawmakers, have created a series of barriers against improving prison conditions with air conditioning. Thu, 31 Aug 2023 21:59:26 GMT /crime-justice/2023-08-31/texas-prisoner-deaths-ac-air-conditioning-prison-heat Mose Buchele 'Why didn't they just kill us?' Three women talk about life in a Texas prison without AC /crime-justice/2023-08-18/texas-prisons-heat-air-conditioning Temperatures in cells often stay in the 90s for hours and can reach into the triple digits. Officials say there is no evidence the heat is killing prisoners, despite a spike in prison deaths that independent analysts attribute to the heat. Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:01:00 GMT /crime-justice/2023-08-18/texas-prisons-heat-air-conditioning Mose Buchele 'Strange' Texas prison policy keeps some women in solitary wearing gowns /texas/2023-06-12/strange-texas-prison-policy-keeps-some-women-in-solitary-in-gowns Prison researchers were shocked to learn that women in Texas Department of Criminal Justice's security detention are issued a thick white gown instead of the two-piece uniform men are issued. No official explanation was offered. Mon, 12 Jun 2023 22:49:44 GMT /texas/2023-06-12/strange-texas-prison-policy-keeps-some-women-in-solitary-in-gowns Paul Flahive