‘We Can See Our Breath’: Families Say Texas Prison Heat Is Still Failing Despite Official Assurances

TXAN 24 News Editor’s Note:

The following report is published in full as submitted by Ashleen Gaddy, President of the Texas Prison Transparency Project.

TXAN 24 News has independently reviewed the material for publication.

All language, accounts, and statements below reflect the original reporting and lived-experience documentation of the author.

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Less than 24 hours after concerns were publicly raised about heating failures inside Texas prisons during the ongoing winter storm, new reports from incarcerated individuals and their families indicate that dangerous conditions persist across multiple facilities despite assurances from some unit leadership that heat is functioning.

As President of the Texas Prison Transparency Project, I continue to receive, document, and verify reports directly from incarcerated individuals and their families across the state. While some facilities report that systems are operating, the consistency and volume of reports from others indicate ongoing failures that cannot be dismissed as isolated or exaggerated.

Families continue to report freezing temperatures, lack of basic cold weather accommodations, and conditions that force incarcerated people to take extreme measures simply to stay warm.

• Polunsky Unit

At the Polunsky Unit, a family member reported late Monday night that her loved one could see his breath inside his cell.

Despite wearing thermals and socks, using two sheets and a blanket, and covering his window with an additional blanket, he remains freezing. No second blankets have been distributed. Incarcerated men have reportedly remained locked in their cells, with sack meals distributed inconsistently due to severe staffing shortages.

Many men reportedly lack jackets altogether. Some do not have mattresses and are sleeping directly on cold metal bunks. Others are congregating in the showers in the day room because the shower area is warmer than surrounding housing areas.

Broken or non functional windows are allowing cold air to enter pods and cells, while water is reported to be continuously streaming down walls near bunks and windows, creating wet and frigid living conditions.

• Ellis Unit

At the O B Ellis Unit, multiple incarcerated individuals report that portable heaters were installed days ago but were never properly connected. According to these reports, the units are attached through windows and are blowing cold air rather than producing heat.

In several wings, only the front half of housing rows are reported to be slightly warm, while the back halves have no heat at all. Some housing areas report fans blowing cold air continuously, while others describe extreme temperature inconsistencies, with overheating in one area and freezing conditions just feet away.

Families report that the day room feels warmer only because it is located in the front portion of the building, not because heat is functioning evenly throughout the unit.

• Robertson Unit

At the Robertson Unit, families report repeated attempts to contact the unit, the ombudsman, and regional offices, only to be ignored, dismissed, or given assurances that directly contradict what incarcerated men are reporting from inside.

Multiple families state their loved ones are freezing and that heat is not functioning in their housing areas, despite staff claims to the contrary. These reports are coming from different incarcerated individuals housed in different areas of the unit.

As one family member stated, “This is not a coincidence. To them, it is a crisis.”

• Womens Prison Concerns

Womens prisons are not immune to the heating concerns being reported across the Texas prison system. Families of incarcerated women at multiple facilities continue to raise concerns about cold temperatures, inadequate heat, and limited access to additional cold weather accommodations.

These reports mirror those coming from mens facilities and further underscore that the problem is not isolated by custody level, gender, or geography.

• Connally Unit

At the Connally Unit, families report no change in conditions despite ongoing outreach and escalating concerns. Incarcerated individuals continue to report inadequate heat and cold housing areas.

Families report growing frustration as conditions persist without meaningful updates or visible corrective action.

• Michael Unit

Families are also reporting power and heating problems at the Michael Unit. According to multiple reports, some areas of the unit are experiencing power disruptions that have affected heating systems, leaving portions of the facility without consistent heat.

Families state that conditions vary by housing area, with some sections colder than others due to intermittent power and heating failures.

• Lived Experience Perspective

Shannon Marshall, who spent 25 consecutive years incarcerated inside the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, shared the following perspective.

“For 25 consecutive years inside the Texas prison system, one thing never changed, extreme temperatures.

Summers were dangerously hot… Winters… could be just as brutal… Concrete and steel turn temperature into another form of punishment.”

Despite Texas having a multibillion dollar prison budget, incarcerated people are still exposed to these extremes. While there have been small improvements and increased attention from courts, media, and the public, progress remains painfully slow.

Administrative attitudes appear to be shifting in the right direction, but every year change is delayed, more lives are lost.

• Statement From a Current TDCJ Employee

A current Texas Department of Criminal Justice employee, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, shared the following statement.

“I do not understand how the state thinks it can prepare itself for a major winter storm in a week… These are human beings.”

• Legislative Gap in Temperature Standards

Texas law already recognizes the health risks posed by extreme temperatures in correctional settings. Under the Texas Administrative Code, county and city jails are required to maintain indoor temperatures generally between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, this mandated temperature range does not apply to state prisons.

While county and municipal facilities fall under enforceable temperature standards, most Texas state prisons are not required to maintain minimum or maximum housing temperatures. As a result, incarcerated individuals in state facilities remain vulnerable during extreme weather events.

Nearly two thirds of Texas prison facilities lack full climate control. In response to extreme heat, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice implements enhanced heat protocols from April 15 through October 31. These measures include respite areas, fans, and increased water access and were adopted largely as a result of litigation and legal settlements.

There are no comparable statewide standards addressing exposure to extreme cold inside state prisons.

Federal prisons are subject to facility standards that address heating and cooling. Animal shelters are also required to maintain safe temperature ranges to protect animals from heat and cold exposure.

Yet Texas state prisons remain largely exempt from enforceable climate control requirements, raising serious questions about why facilities housing human beings are afforded fewer protections.

Texas is a state that does not typically experience prolonged bitter cold weather until it does. When severe winter storms occur, the absence of enforceable temperature requirements leaves incarcerated people exposed to dangerous conditions, with reliance placed on temporary fixes rather than permanent safeguards.

Advocates and families are increasingly calling for legislation that would establish clear and enforceable climate control standards for state prisons, similar to those already required in county and city jails and other regulated facilities, to ensure safe housing temperatures year round.

• Escalation and Communication Concerns

The Governor of Texas has been contacted regarding these ongoing conditions. As of this writing, no response has been received. State legislators have also been contacted and have stated they will be looking into these issues.

Since going public with these concerns, communications from state level offices have noticeably shifted. Where responses previously reflected individualized engagement and situational awareness, they have increasingly become generic and cookie cutter in nature, offering broad assurances without addressing the specific and verified conditions being reported from inside individual housing areas.

When detailed and consistent reports are met with templated responses, it raises serious concerns about whether accurate information is reaching decision makers or being acted upon in real time.

These reports are not about comfort. They are about safety, health, and basic human dignity.

Forcing people to sleep on bare metal in freezing temperatures, congregate in showers to avoid hypothermia, or endure cold air blowing into cells through broken windows is unacceptable, regardless of incarceration status.

These are human beings. Someones son. Someones brother. Someones father. Someones mother. Someones daughter.

Heat, safety, and dignity are not privileges. They are basic human rights.

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Links to donate to help inmates:

https://drivenreentry.org

https://lovingtheworld.com