Summer in Texas is deadly — and for tens of thousands of people incarcerated in state prisons, there is no relief. The Texas Prisons Community Advocates (TPCA) launched the “85 to Stay Alive” campaign to demand that all TDCJ housing be cooled to 85°F or below. That number is not arbitrary: heat-related illness and death become dramatically more likely when temperatures inside prison cells climb past 85 degrees, and Texas summers routinely push well above that threshold.
Despite years of advocacy, litigation, and legislative pressure, the problem remains. TPCA estimates that tens of thousands of incarcerated people still live in housing without air conditioning — though the number continues to decrease as capital projects are completed. Officers, chaplains, and family members have watched loved ones suffer heat strokes, seizures, and death in facilities built before modern standards that have never been fully upgraded.
TDCJ Units Reported Without Air Conditioning
Advocates who track TDCJ infrastructure report that the following units are among those with no housing A/C or very limited A/C. The list changes as projects are completed:
Several additional older units have only partial coverage. The full picture shifts as TDCJ completes funded projects — but the fundamental gap between what exists and what is needed remains enormous.
What the 85 to Stay Alive Campaign Is Asking
TPCA is calling on the Texas Legislature to fully fund air conditioning across all TDCJ housing units. The campaign documents the human cost — heat deaths, medical emergencies, and the disproportionate toll on older incarcerated people and those with chronic illness — and connects advocates, family members, and the public to the legislative process.
If you have a loved one in one of these units, or if you believe every human being made in the image of God deserves to be protected from preventable death, this campaign needs your voice.
1. Texas Tribune (Top recommendation)
The Texas Tribune has produced some of the best investigative reporting on prison heat. Their articles include photographs from prison exteriors, advocacy events, and courtroom coverage, along with detailed reporting on indoor temperatures and deaths.