Unforgettable Heat
Dear Editor,
I spent a few summers inside Bartlett State Jail, from 2003 to 2004. When I hear people talk about the heat inside Texas prisons today, I don’t have to imagine what it feels like. I remember it.
I remember lying in my bunk at night trying to sleep while the heat stayed trapped inside the dorm. One fan for 38 men. A large fan overhead, but sometimes it felt like all it did was blow more hot air around.
We didn’t have ice water. We didn’t have cold water to drink. Just regular water from the sink where most people wash socks and underwear.
You learn things about heat when you are locked inside a building and can’t leave. You learn how long a night can feel when your body won’t cool down. You learn that something as simple as a cup of cold water can mean a lot when you have nothing else. When the sun was up it was even worse – a good 120-plus inside those brick walls.
That was more than 20 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten it.
What hurts is knowing that people in Texas prisons are still dealing with extreme heat in 2026 [“Headlines: Air Conditioning in Texas Prisons,” News, Sept. 25; “Texas Prisons Are Cooking People Alive. Are We Okay With That?” News, Aug. 10, 2023]. These individuals may have lost their freedom, but they haven’t lost their humanity.
When the state locks someone behind a wall, the state becomes responsible for what happens to that person inside it. Nobody should have to wait for a federal court to say that extreme heat can be dangerous.
I lived through those summers. I know what it felt like.
Texas should have listened long ago.
Michael A. Davis
Won’t Bend on Hornsby
Dear Editor,
The developers of Hornsby Bend might call it “the dog’s head,” but I, for one, will not [“Dog’s Head Detractors Bark Back With Lawsuit,” News, Sept. 25]. It’s too macabre to even consider. Reuben Hornsby settled there in 1832, built a stockade, and for almost 200 years the name Hornsby Bend stuck. Throw the dog’s head at Amazon and Google’s front porch, see if they flinch. I always loved the music of Bruce Hornsby, and won’t bend on this one. Be real and call it what it is to thousands of Travis County residents.
Yours truly,
Dave Schroeder
p.s. I’ve got no computer, phone, or car. I started picking up loose Chronicles blowing in the wind when y’all put the little golden-cheeked warbler on the cover. A staple was a good idea. Maybe a black-capped vireo is in order?
Just a Thought
Dear Editor,
Just a thought: As our country slips toward “third world levels” would it be asking too much if we would have democratic nations provide objective poll monitors at some of our questionable voting stations come November?
H. Alan Coy
This article appears in October 2 • 2026.