Summary
The extreme heat scorching much of the country is particularly brutal for incarcerated Americans. In Texas, more than two-thirds of prisoner living areas lack air conditioning. Earlier in 2023, an effort to include funding for prison air conditioning in the state’s budget failed in the Texas Senate. Maurice Chammah, a writer for the Marshall Project, joins John Yang to discuss.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
Five Facts
- What type of heat-related health issue is common during the summer?
- When did Mississippi begin installing air conditioning in its prisons?
- How many states lack air conditioning in their prisons?
- Why did Mississippi begin installing air conditioning in its prisons?
- Where do over 2/3 of prisoner living areas lack air conditioning?
Focus Questions
How much government funds and effort should be devoted to improving the lives of prisoners instead of society in general?
News Analysis: How important is it for journalists to balance broader information with the personal stories of people like the prisoner family members presented here?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?
For More
What students can do: Raise awareness about the living conditions of prisoners by learning more about the justice system. Check out these NewsHour Classroom lessons based on the Searching for Justice series.
