Prison Heat Bill No Longer Requires Units to Lower Temperatures, Just Assess Cost

AUSTIN — A bill that would have tackled high heat levels at state jails and prisons has been gutted and replaced with a cost study, a move inmate advocates called "a cop-out."House Bill 936 originally would have required all 104 state-run secure units to be kept between 65 and 85 degrees. The bill was dramatically rewritten, however, swapping that mandate with a study to see how much it would cost "to reduce the air temperature." This amended bill passed 9-0 in the House Corrections Committee on Thursday.   Continue reading...