Dying of Heat Stroke in Texas Prisons

[douglas9]

GALVESTON, Texas (CN) - Four Texas inmates died of heat stroke in brutally hot prisons, and nine others have died for the same reason in Texas prisons since 2007, families claim in court.
Families of the late Rodney Gerald Adams, Kenneth Wayne James and Douglas Hudson sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, its executive director Brad Livingston, The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, which partners with the TDCJ to provide medical care to inmates, and other TDCJ officials and wardens.
The family of the late Robert Allen Webb sued the same defendants in a separate complaint.
In their complaint, the three families say they "bring this lawsuit to prevent more men from dying of heat stroke in the brutally hot TDCJ Gurney Unit and seek redress for their relatives who perished at the Gurney Unit."
"Prisoners are regularly dying of heat stroke in TDCJ custody at the Gurney Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas," the families say in the complaint.
Webb died in the "Hodge Unit."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/17/58567.htm

[MotherPetrie]

1. Disgusting

[xtraxritical]

15. Yeah, that's Texas alright...

[midnight]

2. safety talk everywhere these days... If safety is so important why do we allow this?

[hlthe2b]

3. It is hard to imagine a more horrendous way to die.

Last edited Tue Jun 18, 2013, 01:20 PM - Edit history (1)

As those who are unfortunate enough to have dealt with an animal or child death after being locked in a hot car can attest. I'll spare the horrendous and grotesque details, but this is savage.

[reusrename]

17. I fear you are correct.

The savagery is becoming monstrous. I had a medical condition that didn't allow me to sleep for eight days (many years ago) and it was, by far, the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me, surpassing many broken bones, a frozen shoulder that lasted for months, severe burn to my hand, and even open-heart surgery and impacted wisdom teeth. Some still say sleep deprivation is too good for those whom the system has singled out for abuse.

[sharp_stick]

4. I've heard of the same thing in Atmore

Alabama. The inmates that are locked up 23 hours a day have very little access to any kind of cooling other than fans running on the block hallways. These fans could also be turned off or directed away from certain cells as a punishment.

[libodem]

5. Cruel and Unusual

I've had a heatstroke headache and it was comparable to a migraine. That has to be a very agonizing death.

SHAME ON THEM!

[melm00se]

6. I would like to point out that

this "article" is nothing but a press release from the plaintiffs.

Please note that there is zero commentary from the defendant in the suit (not even the "we won't comment on ongoing litigation&quot .

[Vanje]

7. Thankyou, Crusader for Truth ....

You are a Fearless fighter for the right of a tax-supported institution to cook human beings to death.

But you are mistaken.

There are some sentiments from the defendant here:

Defendant Robert Eason was the TDCJ's regional director :
"Even though ten men died of heat stroke in 2011 - and eight of them died in his 'region' - Eason did not consider these deaths a serious problem. In fact, in the face of these deaths, he believed TDCJ was doing a 'wonderful job' and '[didn't] have a problem with heat-related deaths,'" the complaint states.
"Eason's direct supervisors, [Brad] Livingston, [TDCJ Correctional Institutions Division Director Rick] Thaler and [Thaler's Deputy Director William] Stephens, were similarly unconcerned.

[melm00se]

8. read it again very carefully

"the complaint states"

the complaint is written by the plaintiff so I am absolutely certain that their comments are completely without bias.

[Vanje]

9. Yes. Every story has two sides

I'd be very interested in hearing the Texas Prison system's justification for slowly killing the men that were entrusted to their care.

Sadly, the party who's voices we will never hear , are the men that died. The witnesses are quite silent.

[morningfog]

14. So, the men might not actually be dead?

Or might not have died from heat stroke?

Why are you taking the side of Texas prisons and making their arguments here?

[HiPointDem]

13. heat stroke death is entirely preventable and in & of itself shows abusive conditions.

[raccoon]

10. So Texas doesn't provide AC for prisoners? I don't think SC does either.

I think that is cruel and unusual punishment.

[Go Vols]

11. It doesn't seem to be something new

Ten prisoners died during a 26-day stretch last summer, and, according to Scott Medlock, director of the TCRP's Prisoners' Rights Program, an unconfirmed number have died this year......

If it's illegal in Texas to expose a pet to deadly conditions, then we shouldn't be able to do so to prisoners either, no matter how tough on crime we are.

http://brokenchains.us/tdcj/prison-issues/weatheralert.html

[HiPointDem]

12. kr

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. kick