‘People are dying’: Texas prisoners say heatwave turns cells into ovens

A boy stands near a makeshift prison cell during a rally on the steps of the Texas capitol in Austin earlier this month. Only 30 percent of all Texas prison units are fully air-conditioned. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

In Texas, animal shelters are obliged by law to ensure that their ambient temperature does not rise above 85F (29C) for more than two hours, a measure designed to protect dogs and cats from extreme heat and provide for their “health and wellbeing”.

If only humans were so lucky.