Jail Conditions Worsened During Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 Continued

Jails in Texas were miserable places to be when Winter Storm Uri hit. Toilets were backed up and in one jail inmates were given pieces of cardboard to cover them in an effort to contain the stench and the overflow. At one point advocates tracking jail conditions thought it couldn’t get any worse by then it got much worse. Inmates were forced to deal with extreme temperatures, a lack of drinking water, unhygienic conditions, and snow coming through broken windows.

Extra blankets were issued, but many inmates said they didn’t receive one. The female guards and inmates had to deal with a lack of feminine hygiene products. Small meals got even smaller, and some people reportedly went days without water.

It was obvious there was a failure to maintain infrastructure because heating, cooling, and plumbing issues all hit hard in jails throughout the state.

One man put the plumbing problem in stark terms. He said the air smelled like urine. He counted 68 people who were using the same restroom 6 to 8 times a day, but none of the toilets would flush.

Another huge concern during the ice storm was providing inmates with the medical care they needed. Diabetic inmates had dropping sugar levels when food was late or when there wasn’t enough food. Staph infections worsened during the storm. One man reportedly did not receive his seizure medication.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this continuing series to learn more.

Helping Texas jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of suggesting that people or organizations have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor