Spurred by The News’ inquiries, Texas prisons will release heat logs at state lockups
The state agency will disclose outdoor heat readings at its lockups after The Dallas Morning News obtained years of previously unreleased records.
Rep. Carl O. Sherman, Sr., D-DeSoto, stands outside a mock cell the Texas Prison Air-Conditioning Advocates set up in South Austin the week of April 19, 2021. The group invited lawmakers and the public to experience what it feels like to experience the heat behind bars.
The Dallas Morning News inquired about secrecy surrounding the records.
The state prisons department does not measure indoor heat levels at most of its lockups, many of which have no or only partial air conditioning. In 2019, it began refusing to make public the hourly measurements taken outside its facilities, citing ongoing lawsuits. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton backed the agency, denying a records request submitted in October.
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