New lawsuit: Prisons so hot, cell blocks like ovens

Wall-mounted fans blow a steady breeze in one section of the Wynne unit. Throughout the prison system, two inmates have died from what is believed to be heat-related causes. Wall-mounted fans blow a steady breeze in one section of the Wynne unit. Throughout the prison system, two inmates have died from what is believed to be heat-related causes. Photo: Ben Desoto, Houston Chronicle Photo: Ben Desoto, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close New lawsuit: Prisons so hot, cell blocks like ovens 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN – In the latest court challenge to sweltering summer heat inside Texas prisons, four convicts on Wednesday asked a Houston federal court to require state officials to take steps to lower temperatures at a Navasota lockup where they allege it is so hot that metal tables are too hot to touch and metal-walled cell blocks are like ovens.

The four felons locked up at the Pack Unit – all with medical conditions and disabilities that are aggravated by high heat – allege in their suit that they are being subjected to inhumane conditions that violate the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also alleges that prison conditions have been blamed in 20 heat-related deaths since 1998.

The suit, the first one seeking class-action status that could open the prison system up to statewide litigation, joins more than a half-dozen other lawsuits already pending over summer heat inside Texas' 109 state prisons that are largely un-airconditioned. Prisons in the Houston and Huntsville areas, and in areas south and west of San Antonio have been targeted by complaints.

"Pack is a geriatric unit that has hundreds of inmates over the age of 60, and hundreds more suffer from heat-sensitive medical conditions," said Austin attorney Jeff Edwards, lead counsel in the new case. "(Prison officials) know the temperatures at Pack put these prisoners in danger rather than cool the housing areas or move the prisoners to safe locations. They play Russian Roulette with their health."

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring prison officials to lower the temperatures in prisoner areas at Pack to a maximum 88 degrees, a level set last year by a Louisiana federal court as safe in prisons there.

Prison system spokesman Jason Clark said prison officials do not comment on pending litigation. In the past, officials have said they provide water and fans to keep summer temperatures down, in a prison system that has never provided air-conditioning except in medical units and special-needs areas.