To cool the state’s entire prison system, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has said it would cost more than $1 billion. But so far, TDCJ has not asked the Legislature for the full funding, even as more than 80,000 inmates in its facilities endure the scorching summer months without air-conditioning.
On Tuesday, former and current TDCJ leaders testified during the second day of a federal trial over insufficient air-conditioning in Texas prisons that the department has asked for smaller amounts in order to build and maintain credibility with lawmakers. These requests depend on what officials think TDCJ could achieve regarding the design and installation of air conditioning within the next two fiscal years, while also considering “competing priorities” such as health care and food, they added.
