Federal testimony: How much would it cost to put A/C in overheated Texas prison?

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An air-conditioning expert testified Tuesday that it would cost about $100,000 to bring the temperature down to 85 degrees inside the Texas prison in Grimes County, where a federal lawsuit claims the indoor heat amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Ron Brown testified Tuesday in a federal civil rights case brought by six inmates at the Pack Unit, a wheelchair accessible facility 75 miles northwest of Houston that houses many elderly and sick inmates.

The prisoners, backed by Edwards Law, an Austin firm that’s gained expertise in prison heat cases across Texas, are asking U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison for emergency relief to the indoor heat in the housing units.

The lawsuit notes that 22 inmates have died in Texas prisons since 1998 as a result of heat exposure inside the facilities. A half-dozen inmates testifed Monday about the grim conditions they face inside the unit.

Brown reviewed estimates by Carrier to put in temporary air-conditioning for the summer months and concluded that $100,000 would cover freight costs, installation and operating costs for three months if the prison chose to rent the units. He said the swamp coolers the prison has put in this year as a remedy increase humidity and he would not recommend them, even as a temporary remedy.

Under cross-examination by the state, Brown noted that 75 degrees is usually the optimum temperature people aim for, but this estimate was on based on an 85-degree cooling point, which the parties in this case have agreed is livable.

“You’re not looking to create some kind of country club atmosphere are you?” asked Matthew J. Greer, an attorney for Texas Department of Criminal Justice asked.

“No, just basic human decency,” Brown said.

The hearing for an emergency injunction at the Pack Unit is expected to last into next week.