TEXAS — Jason Wilson died in July 2024 in his solitary confinement cell at the Coffield Unit in Texas, prompting his family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Houston, accuses the state of inflicting cruel and unusual punishment, leading to Wilson's death in a hot, un-airconditioned cell. It alleges that the state failed to provide Wilson with cool water and regular showers, and did not routinely check on his wellbeing. The lawsuit claims Wilson's death resulted from deliberate indifference and intentional discrimination by Texas authorities. The temperature log inside the Coffield unit recorded 107F the day before Wilson died.

Ronnie Wilson, Jason Wilson's father, stated that his son was not meant to suffer. "My son was sentenced for what he did wrong, but he didn't get a death sentence," Ronnie Wilson said. "He wasn't meant to suffer like that, like he was slowly being put to death."

Jason Wilson was held in solitary confinement, referred to as restrictive housing in Texas, for 23 hours a day when he died. He had co-morbidities, including obesity, which required intensive wellness checks during hot periods. The officer responsible for the last wellness check on Wilson did not complete it the night before his death. The officer stated the unit was struggling with understaffing and that he was tired due to the heat. An inmate named James reported being stuck for 20 hours "with no running water or a toilet." James stated, "Not one rank walked the line lastnite or even came to resolve the problem."

Brittany Robertson, an advocate, noted that "The cool down showers are still at regular shower temperatures, which won't do anything to lower the body temperature." She added that "The dire conditions are made worse by electricity and water outages." Erica Grossman, a lawyer, stated that "It continues to tolerate it, to cover it up, rather than take accountability."

More than 85,000 Texas prisoners are housed in cells without air conditioning out of a total of 141,000 prisoners. Internal temperatures in these cells regularly exceed 115F (46C) in summer months, with a temperature of 149F having been recorded in Texas prison cells. The TDCJ accepted there were three heat-related deaths in its prisons in 2023 but denied any heat-related fatalities since 2023. The TDCJ declined to comment on the accusations due to pending litigation. Anderson County recorded temperatures of 100F or hotter on 17 out of 30 days in June.