“There's no need for us to continue to allow folks to cook — literally cook — in our prisons. And that's something we should always find unacceptable.”

Joe Moody, a member of the Texas House, regarding the outstanding heat that many Texas inmates have to endure with little to no reprieve from air conditioners. Data shows that 68 of the state’s Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prisons lacked air conditioning and averaged well over 85 degrees, which would be considered a safety violation for a county jail that mandates temperatures remain below 85 degrees. Between June 1 and July 13, 78 inmates have died in the TDCJ prisons. Moody has proposed legislation to air condition state prisons for years, the most recent iteration failed in the last session. (TPR — July 19, 2023)