Texas Prisons Spend Money Cooling Pigs, While Inmates are Dying from 120 Degree Heat

If you ever hear stories that make you believe that prison inmates are being treated the same as animals, those stories are wrong.  Actually, it appears that animals get much better treatment than inmates, at least in some facilities.

The Texas prison system, which incarcerates far more black men than nearly every state in the country, is under scrutiny for spending $750,000 for facilities designed to keep pigs cool in its farming program, while simultaneously forcing inmates to live in such extreme heat that several people have died as a result.   The system is facing several lawsuits over the conditions, which can amount to pure t*****e in a hot state like Texas.

The prison system uses the pigs for inmates to eat, with prison labor providing the care for the pigs.   In the last six years, no less than 14 inmates have died in conditions related to the heat, which averages 120 degrees during the summer inside the prisons.

Scott Medlock is a civil rights attorney investigating the situation to determine what’s been going on.  He is suing the prison for the heat-related deaths as well.   Of course he is facing resistance from those who believe that if you’re convicted of a crime, you deserve to be t******d.

“TDCJ has literally made the decision that protecting its bacon is more important than protecting human lives,” Medlock said.

At least five lawsuits have been filed over heat-related incidents.  One man was locked up for drunk driving and given medication that made his body sensitive to the heat.  When he was found, his body was 109.9 degrees.