Inmates Might Not Have AC, But You Should

Where is the line between necessity and commodity? There is some controversy surrounding that very question when it comes to climate control in prisons. In one camp, there are those who believe it is only fitting to sweat it out in a jail cell when doing time, thus air conditioning has no place in penitentiary cells. Fighting for the other side are human rights activists who favor AC in jails in over the conditions that otherwise amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

At the center of the debate right now is the Texas prison system following reports of dozens of heat-related deaths within their walls. Here’s a look at both sides of the AC argument:

The cons:

Of the 100+ state-run prisons in Texas, 90 lack any form of climate control system. Getting every one of Texas’s State Pens hooked up with AC would cost millions of dollars. The cost of room and board per inmates in most states is already expensive enough without taxpayers being responsible for the cost of summertime comfort for convicts. Advocates for air conditioned Texas prisons, however, think it’s well worth the cost.

The pros:

While some consider AC a luxury that shouldn’t be afforded to criminals on the state’s dime, others see it as a simple humans rights decision. During the insufferable Texas summer heat, indoors temperatures inside stuffy prison cells can reach up to 150 degrees on the heat index - far beyond the limits of human survival, let alone comfort.

The University of Texas Law School’s Human Rights Clinic has linked 19 inmate deaths to deadly high temperatures in recent years; deaths that could have been prevented with AC. As it turns out, cutting corners on cooling expenses still ends up being quite costly to the state. If the desire to keep inmates alive isn’t reason enough to climate control Texas state penitentiaries, the cost of battling wrongful death lawsuits should be at least be a strong motivator.

Whatever your stance on this issue, you at least owe it to yourself to have more comfortable living and working conditions than the average convict - equip your home with the one basic amenity you’re missing this summer with a new AC system!