Monday, July 11, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. MDT

Temperatures in Texas, the nation’s fourth hottest state, can easily reach past 100 degrees on hot days. Inside the state’s many air-conditionless prisons, however, it can regularly reach past 110 and even up to 149 degrees in living areas. Although there are policies in place to mitigate the risk of heat-related illness in Texas prisons, there are numerous challenges to implementing them, including the sheer number of heat-sensitive incarcerated people. These challenges mean that many are left suffocating in the sweltering heat. This session will examine the situation from the viewpoints of prison heat survivors, advocates, family members, and researchers.