Texas's Incarceration Facilities Are Freezing
People experiencing incarceration in the United States are constantly dehumanized and treated violently, and as Texans run out of basic life necessities like food, water, and heat, these conditions only worsened. People in Texas jails and prisons are currently dealing with freezing cells, overflowing toilets, and food and water shortages, which their governor, Ted Cruz, has neglected while he vacations in Cancun.
One Texan experiencing incarceration reported to NBC News, “They give us one bottle a day and tell us to make it last.” Incarcerated people were already dying at drastically higher rates than other citizens due to close proximities and improper safety precautions amidst the pandemic, and, now, they have to continue to suffer at disproportionate rates compared to non-incarcerated people.
The majority of people held in Texas jails have been accused of crimes that they have yet to refute in trial or fight against otherwise. At the third largest jail in the nation, Harris County Jail in Houston, people are being forced to sleep on freezing floors aside overflowing toilets. These poor conditions coupled with the fear of COVID amongst such a large population of people who haven’t even had a chance to defend themselves are inhumane. Furthermore, with the little heat, food, and water that incarceration facilities in Texas currently have, overcrowded jails like Harris County are being impacted the most since there aren’t enough resources to go around.
A multitude of people experiencing incarceration has shared with loved ones that they had to scoop up feces from the floor with their hands, which have turned purple because of the cold temperatures. Youth at the Lynn W. Ross Juvenile Detention Center have shared with their parents that they lost heat and resources, which the parents wouldn’t have been informed about otherwise. During the pandemic, people experiencing incarceration cannot interact with loved ones as frequently and closely, which makes communication between incarceration facilities and loved ones even more significant. But this communication has not proven to be effective, considering they failed to inform parents about such a drastic change within the facility. Moreover, during the pandemic, there is a rule that those experiencing incarceration have to maintain safe distancing, which is essentially impossible in such crowded facilities. This rule, however, means that people couldn’t even gather for body heat, causing people to freeze in somewhat solitude.
Ways to help:
Feed the People Dallas
Mutual Aid Houston
Mutual Aid Austin
And always remember to continue to educate yourself and those around you.