Crockett, Oversight Committee Democrats Press Republicans to Prioritize the Safety of Inmates in Texas and Across the Country

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) joined Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and her fellow Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Chairman James Comer urging Committee Republicans to join Committee Democrats in conducting a serious investigation into dangerous prison conditions across the country.

Following Rep. Crockett and Committee Republicans’ trip to visit January 6 defendants in March 2023, Rep. Crockett hosted a Texas prison conditions roundtable in April 2023 with formerly incarcerated Texans to discuss the need for bipartisan action on this issue at all levels of government. With recent reporting of excessive heat in Texas jails, Crockett and Committee Democrats are asking Committee Republicans to join them in a serious bipartisan investigation of the conditions of prisons and jails across the country and the measures being undertaken to ensure inmates and employees are safe, particularly in states most prone to extreme climate.

“Earlier this year, Committee Republicans arranged a visit to the D.C. jail in light of concerns about the conditions experienced by individuals held on charges related to the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Similarly, Committee Democrats worked persistently to investigate and improve harsh prison conditions in the past two Congresses.  Given our shared interest in the rights of the incarcerated, I urge you and Committee Republicans to join Committee Democrats in our work to bring transparency and accountability to prisons across the country, sweltering in the heat of a brutal climate change summer,” wrote the Members.

In their letter, the Members called out Republicans for ignoring the serious hazards faced by inmates across the country while prioritizing the defendants detained in the D.C. jail for charges stemming from their role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.  During the Republican-led visit to the D.C. jail, Crockett and her fellow Members were able to observe that January 6 defendants have adequate air conditioning and heating and are housed in an area that is noticeably cleaner and larger in comparison to other facilities on the campus and where they have greater access to a wide range of accommodations, including electronic communication devices and access to outdoor recreational areas.

“Our planet recently experienced the hottest month ever recorded, with Texas and other southern states measuring some of the hottest temperatures on Earth. The capacity of prisons and jails to adequately prepare for and provide resources to meet the increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change deserves immediate attention from this Committee.  If Committee Republicans are serious about conducting oversight of the conditions within prisons and correctional facilities, and not just playing politics with a single facility, it is critical that you demand that facilities across the country hold inmates in a humane environment and not limit your interest to a single facility.”

Committee Democrats have a longstanding commitment to examining the conditions of correctional facilities. In 2021, Committee Democrats launched an investigation regarding conditions at Rikers Island in New York City, which have been plagued with violence and high rates of preventable deaths for years.  In addition to the conditions investigated on Rikers Island and the excessive heat plaguing Texas prisons, Committee Democrats also pointed to the allegations of sexual assault in juvenile facilities and instances of lack of inmate protections in jails across southern states.

Click here to read the letter.

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Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett represents portions of Dallas and Tarrant Counties, with the cities of Dallas, Grand Prairie, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Duncanville, Glenn Heights, Hutchins, Wilmer, Arlington, Ovilla, and Seagoville.