Lawsuit Says High Prison Temperatures Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Lawsuit Says High Prison Temperatures Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment ~~ autopsy attributed his death to “classic heat stroke.

Prison officials say that James had high blood pressure and a history of cocaine abuse. 

Even ignoring qualms and questions about guilt, innocence, and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, fundamentally there is something troubling about the ease with which America sends it citizens to tiny, locked rooms. Sure, forgery is a crime, but does it require that a 58 year old men be caged in miserable conditions alongside violent people? Is it worth it?

And then there's this comment from Texas state Sen. State Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston):

"I’m sorry about the conditions, but I guess I could be real direct and say, you know, if you don’t want to be there, don’t commit a crime....We have limited taxpayer dollars and resources,” Whitmire said.  “And we need to use it as best we can.  And it’s not going to be spent for air conditioning of our prisons.”