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Sep-03-2013 18:30printcomments

Texas Correctional Officers Join Inmate's Lawsuit Over Excessive Heat

"These conditions are dangerous to both the employees and the inmates." - Lance Lowry, president of the local American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees

Overheated Texs prison
Courtesy: Prison Path

(AUSTIN) - The union that represents Texas' correctional officers will join the lawsuits filed over the heat related deaths of at least 14 inmates in the scorching state prisons. The union has joined with the inmates demand that the Texas state prisons should be cooled to relieve unbearable conditions.

Lance Lowry, president of the local American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, said the union intends to join pending litigation requesting intervention over temperatures inside prisons that purportedly reach 130 degrees on some summer days, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

Lowry stated, "These conditions are dangerous to both the employees and the inmates." The union president stressed the unusual circumstances that brought inmates and correction officers together on the same side. Temperatures between 100 and 115 degrees during summertime are dangerous and potentially deadly for officers and inmates taking heat-sensitive medication or those who have hypertension.

The cost of air-conditioning units has been estimated at more than $55 million. Texas prison officials have argued that the prisons do not require air conditioning units despite the numerous inmate's deaths. At the same time, the Texas prison system paid this summer $750,000 for six climate-controlled barns for use in its pig farming program. The Texas rescue of the pigs was detailed in our article, “Heat Can be a Death Sentence for Inmates–Update No.3,“

We can only hope this unlikely alliance will succeed in court. If not, Texas pigs will fare much better than the inmates and correctional officers in the Texas state prisons.

First published by Prison Path

http://www.prisonpath.com/texas-correctional-officers-join-inmates-lawsuit-over-excessive-heat/

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Steve Moylett September 5, 2013 3:29 pm (Pacific time)

Recently in St. Paul Minnesota there is a projected lawsuit that says certain students are being discriminated on because their classrooms have no AC, while wealthier school districts have AC. Evidently a heat wave is going on. Frankly when I was going to grade and high school I sure recall some hot and very cold days...we had no AC or a very good heating system. How in the hell did we make it through school? Well off to Walmart to tweak the protestors...


Anonymous September 4, 2013 11:37 am (Pacific time)

And then let them work outside in 140-150 degree weather. No air conditioning. Let them fight the terrorists Obama supports. Because Obama does not give a damn how many Americans die to protect the terrorists. And if these scumbags make it a year without blown up or getting their head cut off they are free to go. How does that sound for justice? They don't even need a scumbag lawyer.


Anonymous September 4, 2013 11:32 am (Pacific time)

Are you for real? I have an idea. Let's get all the criminal scumbags and ship them to the Middle East. Put an uniform on them. A backpack at least 50 pounds. Boots. Weaponst. Ammo.

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