Can the conditions in a prison be so bad that they violate convicted criminals’ right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment? Can our prison system treat its pigs better than its inmates (yes, that’s a real question)? These are questions that are all raised by the lawsuit filed by my guests in this episode.

My guests are Jeff Edwards and Mike Singley of the Edwards Law Group. These two talented trial lawyers, along with a great team of other lawyers, sued the State of Texas in federal court because the conditions at the Pack Unit were so bad that there was an imminent threat of heat-related deaths. They won in the district court three times, and Texas appealed all three times to the very conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The inmates won all three appeals, and then Texas finally settled.

In this episode, we discuss what conditions were like in the Pack Unit, and why it wasn’t “just hot.” This is the first of a handful of episodes relating to criminal justice reform. Considering the massive numbers of people America has behind bars, the conditions of that confinement deserves serious attention.

If you want to be a real nerd (like me), here are some of the key case documents. The most important 5th Circuit opinion can be found here. The district court’s order granting the injunction requested by the inmates is here. And the district court’s order approving the settlement between the State of Texas and the class of inmates is here.

Here’s how you can listen!

 

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