Almost 70% of Texas state prisons don't have central heating and AC. This impacts not just the inmates but also the prison guards and staff, and at times the effects have been fatal. In todays episode of the What is Good Podcast, we ask if this an issue that Texans don't care about, or one that they just don't know about? Our director of Public Policy, John Litzler, leads us in this discussion.
Today we discuss the living conditions of Texas state prisons, over 2/3rds of which do not have central heating or AC. We hear how the extreme heat and cold impacts inmates, guards, and other prison staff. It is a difficult conversation, but one we think needs to be had.
Some Texas lawmakers say they have not approved bills that seek to fix this problem because it's not an issue Texans really care about. We wonder, however, if it's an issue that most Texans just don't know about. We hope today's talk will inform and evoke the compassion of Christ for those living and working in our state prisons.
TIMESTAMPS:
1:44 - What's the hottest/coldest you've ever been, and would you rather be too hot or too cold?
8:20 - History of the state of AC/Heat in Texas prisons
10:31 - What do you think of the quote, "The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons"?
15:15 - What do you think of arguments that it would cost too much for Texas to fix this problem, or that it's a good deterrent for our prisons to be uncomfortable as part of being tough on crime?
21:25 - What have been the hidden costs of not having AC/heat in most of our state prisons?
25:33 - If we believe people are made in the image of God, how is that consistent or inconsistent with the conditions we are placing Texas prisoners in?
32:12 - How might we as Christians view this as a pro-life issue?
38:04 - How does the Bible encourage us to have compassion on this situation?
49:08 - What is Good?
53:23 - Outtakes