On June 26, 2023, emergency medical assistance arrived at Tarrant County Jail to assist inmate Jo Ann Lemmons, who was experiencing a medical emergency. The ambulance transported Ms. Lemmons to John Peter Smith Hospital. She was pronounced deceased there at 1:26 AM on June 27, 2023.

In World News, 100,000 Texas Prison Inmates are Baking in Concrete and Metal Cell Heat Traps

A spotlight is on Texas lockups as the summer heats up and up to 100,000 inmates don’t have access to air conditioning. Sources say that indoor temperatures in prisons rose above 115º F routinely.

Texas plus another 13 states, at least, do not provide universal prison air conditioning. Approximately 70% of the units in Texas have no cooling systems or are only partially cooled, a British newspaper reported.

News reports are daily reporting heat-related deaths among the population that has the freedom to go indoors to air conditioning for relief, unlike prisoners who cannot help themselves. Less than 24 hours ago in San Antonio, a 49-year-old man died while fueling his motorcycle. When he collapsed, an off-duty officer attempted to save him. Medics went to the scene and said results of an autopsy will show the cause of death but the man could have died of complications of exposure to the heat.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this ongoing series.

One of the purposes of this website is to provide resources to help Texas inmates who have been incarcerated in local county and municipal jails in the state. There is never an intention of implicating an individual or institution in connection with misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor