Texas Prisons
The Texas state prison system is in crisis. From dangerous conditions of confinement to gender disparities in healthcare, discipline, and access to programming, we know firsthand the lasting impact these harms have on our lives and families.
Extreme Prison Heat
Read the latest on our litigation against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice over inhumane, extreme heat conditions:
Texas Tribune, March 26th, 2025 A federal judge has ruled that housing people in Texas prisons without air conditioning during extreme heat is unconstitutional. Despite acknowledging the risks, the judge did not mandate immediate installation of air conditioning, citing logistical and financial challenges. The case will proceed to trial, with both parties required to submit a proposed timeline for legal proceedings by April 10, 2025.
Texas inmates are being 'cooked to death' in summer heat, lawsuit alleges.
‘I thought I was going to die there.’
"Why didn't they just kill us?" Three Women Talk about Life in a Texas Prison without AC.
Heat, floods, pests, disease, and death: What climate change means for people in prison
Solitary Confinement
Solitary confinement, (which is also used in county jails and youth prisons) is especially harmful to our community, many of whom enter the system with histories of trauma, abuse, and mental health challenges. Isolation worsens these conditions and leaves them vulnerable to further harm. This practice must end.
Women Face Unique Harms from Solitary Confinement Texas Lawmaker,
Former Prisoners Rally Against Solitary Confinement at Texas Capitol
Prison Advocates Push for Solitary Confinement Reform
Texas Prison Officals Change 'strange' Policy that Kept some Women in Solitary in Gowns
Examining Race and Gender Disparities in Restrictive Housing Placements
The Research is Clear: Solitary Confinement Casues Long-lasting Harm
Disciplinary
People incarcerated in women’s prisons are disciplined significantly more often than those in men’s facilities (sometimes two to three times as frequently) for minor, nonviolent rule violations. Research shows these punishments often target behaviors linked to trauma, mental health challenges, or unmet needs. Rather than offering support or accountability, this approach emphasizes control and punishment. It’s time to confront these gendered practices and push for trauma-informed, healing centered responses.
Incarcerated Women Punished at Higher Rates for Minor Infractions than Men,
UTEP Study ShowsIn Prison, Discipline Comes Down Hardest on Women
Discipline And Women in Prison
Higher Education
Higher education opportunities in Texas prisons reveal stark gender disparities. While incarcerated men may access graduate-level programs, women are often limited to associate degrees or vocational training. This imbalance reflects systemic neglect and a failure to view women as equally worthy of educational investment.
Course Corrections: The Return of Prison Education
In Texas prisons, men have access to significantly more higher education programs than women
Women Prisoners Can Learn How to Type and Cook. Men Can get a Master's.
Healthcare
Incarcerated women and gender-expansive people in Texas face serious barriers to medical care, including reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. Many enter prison with existing health conditions, yet care is often delayed, denied, or delivered without dignity. Pregnant people may not receive adequate prenatal care, and access to basic needs like menstrual products is inconsistent. Transgender individuals frequently struggle to access hormone therapy and mental health support, despite medical standards recognizing these as essential. We work with directly impacted people to document these harms and push for policies that guarantee compassionate, trauma-informed care.
Pregnancy care was always lacking in jails. Could it get worse?
Reproductive Health Care in Carceral Facilities
Parole and probation rules limit travel. That can be complicated...
LGBTQIA+
LGBTQIA+ people in Texas prisons face extreme violence, isolation, and discrimination. Strip searches, denial of healthcare, and targeted abuse are daily realities for many. We stand in solidarity with the incarcerated LGBTQIA+ communities and demand policies that ensure their safety and dignity.
The horrific reality of transgender individuals in Texas prisons
Strip searches, trauma, isolation: Trans men describe life behind bars
Texas prisons to update LGBT policy after lawsuit
Visualizing the unequal treatment of LGBTQ people in the criminal justice system