Conservatives - the fear and hate of anything different is palpable

Texas lawmaker defends 19 inmate deaths: Texans 'don't want air-conditioned prisons' (Click here to read more)

By David Edwards
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 11:51 EDT
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Lawmakers in Texas on Tuesday defended the lack of air-conditioning in state prisons after a report linked 19 inmate deaths to extreme heat.
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A study released by the University of Texas Law School's Human Rights Clinic warned that the state was violating the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, and the human rights of inmates by refusing to put air-conditioning in prisons.
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Data collected from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) showed the temperatures inside facilities like Hutchins State Jail could reach as high as 105 degrees in summer months.
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American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local President Lance Lowry noted that TDCJ had put more effort into control the climate of pig barns - which have misting fans - than preventing the death of inmates from heat stroke.