Johnny Charles Bradley was booked into Rusk County Jail in Henderson, Texas, on February 15, 2023. The custodial death report (CDR) indicates that he exhibited medical problems and mental health problems at the time of booking. Mr. Bradley was in Rusk County Jail’s custody when he died at age 61 on July 23, 2023. The address of Rusk County Jail is 210 Charlevoix, Henderson TX 75652.

Are Inmates Dying of Heart Attacks or Because of the Heat Wave?

In mid-June 2023 at least five prisoners died of cardiac arrest or heart attack when other signs point to heat as the cause of death. Many prisoners in Texas stay in uncooled rooms. Living inside an uncooled cell when the temperatures outside are 100º F has been making inmates miserable. Many people believe inmates are dying from the heat, but it is not easy to prove that a heart attack was brought on by extreme temperatures.

How Deadly is Texas Heat?

Should it be a concern that inmates in Texas could die due to the heat? Many advocates believe the heat is a real concern because inmates are at risk. One group alleges that summer has been the real cause of hundreds of inmate deaths in recent years. They claim that inside Texas lockups, temperatures might go above 120º F.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

Helping Texas county and municipal jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of implicating that persons or institutions have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor