"Texas Prisons Ignoring Heat-Related Deaths of Inmates"
At least nine inmates have died in Texas prisons since mid-June, with five deaths attributed to heart attacks or cardiac arrest in uncooled prisons where the heat index exceeded 100 degrees. Despite the scorching temperatures, more than two-thirds of Texas prisons lack air conditioning in living areas. Prisoners and their families, along with advocates and lawmakers, blame the deaths on the extreme heat and the state's failure to address the issue. Studies have linked fatal heart failures to extreme heat, but it can be difficult to determine if heat was the direct cause of death. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice denies that the deaths are heat-related and is currently investigating.