The family of Jason Wilson has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), alleging that state authorities subjected him to cruel and unusual punishment by confining him in a brutally hot cell without air conditioning, cool water, or regular wellness checks.
The complaint, submitted to a federal district court in Houston, states that Wilson was found dead in his solitary confinement cell at the Coffield unit in July 2024.
The suit claims his death resulted from "deliberate indifference" and "intentional discrimination."
Ongoing Legal Battle Over Prison Heat
This case coincides with a separate federal action in Austin, where advocacy groups are pushing a judge to mandate air conditioning in all state prisons within three years.
Currently, over 85,000 of Texas's 141,000 inmates are housed in cells without cooling, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 115°F (46°C) and can reach up to 149°F.
The TDCJ acknowledged three heat-related deaths in 2023 but denies any such deaths since then.
Records show the Coffield unit reached 107°F the day before Wilson's death, and outdoor temperatures in Anderson County were 100°F or hotter for 17 days in June 2024.
Brittany Robertson, an advocate for Texas inmates, said she has received multiple reports of inadequate water and infrastructure during heatwaves.
"The cool down showers are still at regular shower temperatures, which won't do anything to lower the body temperature," she said.
"The dire conditions are made worse by electricity and water outages."
An inmate named James sent a dispatch from the same unit describing similar failures: "I was stuck 20hrs with no running water or a toilet.
Wow. Not one rank walked the line lastnite or even came to resolve the problem."
Wilson, classified as obese and requiring intensive checks, did not receive his final scheduled check the night before his death due to staff exhaustion and understaffing.
His father, Ronnie Wilson, said prison staff called the facility the "glass house" because of intense sun exposure.
"Too many people are dying. My son was sentenced for what he did wrong, but he didn't get a death sentence.
He wasn't meant to suffer like that, like he was slowly being put to death," he said.
The TDCJ declined to comment on the active allegations.
Implementing air conditioning across the state prison network would cost an estimated $1.3 billion, potentially sourced from Texas's $27 billion economic stabilization fund with a two-thirds legislative vote.
Erica Grossman, counsel for the lawsuit, criticized the state's handling: "You don't get the funding unless you explain to the legislature why you need it, and articulate the severity of the crisis."
