10/2/2018 A. H. Belo Mail - Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside? McGaughy, Lauren  Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?  9 messages McGaughy, Lauren  To: Jeremy Desel  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:15 PM Dear Jeremy, Now that I have the temperatures at Hutchins in July, I wanted to follow up and ask why TDCJ doesn't take temperatures inside its units. Is this mandated in law or policy some place?  Thanks much. ­ Lauren    ­­       Lauren McGaughy The Dallas Morning News State Capitol Reporter 512­423­6024 @lmcgaughy    Thank you for reading The News! Click here to become a subscriber.  Jeremy Desel  To: "McGaughy, Lauren"  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:19 PM The temps are recorded outside because they are monitored year round for both hot and cold.  It is also where official temperatures are taken by the national weather service.   From: McGaughy, Lauren [mailto:lmcgaughy@dallasnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:16 PM To: Jeremy Desel Subject: Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?   CAUTION: This email was received from an EXTERNAL source, use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please contact the Information Security Office (ISO). [Quoted text hidden] McGaughy, Lauren  To: Jeremy Desel  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:32 PM Jeremy, Apologies if this is a dumb question (and that I cannot call because I'm in this House Corrections hearing), but why would TDCJ duplicate the NWS temperature taking? And if the concerns are over temperatures inside, why aren't temperatures taken there (both for hot and cold)? https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ik=b202d048e8&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ammiai-r-4984792423149568726&simpl=msg-a%3As%3A73565759… 1/5 10/2/2018 A. H. Belo Mail - Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside? Are there any units that do take temperatures inside, perhaps private facilities? ­ Lauren [Quoted text hidden] Jeremy Desel  To: "McGaughy, Lauren"  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:40 PM I not explaining myself well.  We are not replicating anything as there are no NWS monitoring facilities on our locations.  We simple use the same techniques that NWS uses at its locations at our locations.   From: McGaughy, Lauren [mailto:lmcgaughy@dallasnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:32 PM To: Jeremy Desel Subject: Re: Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?   CAUTION: This email was received from an EXTERNAL source, use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please contact the Information Security Office (ISO).   Jeremy, Apologies if this is a dumb question (and that I cannot call because I'm in this House Corrections hearing), but why would TDCJ duplicate the NWS temperature taking? And if the concerns are over temperatures inside, why aren't temperatures taken there (both for hot and cold)? Are there any units that do take temperatures inside, perhaps private facilities? ­ Lauren   On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:19 PM, Jeremy Desel  wrote: The temps are recorded outside because they are monitored year round for both hot and cold.  It is also where official temperatures are taken by the national weather service.   From: McGaughy, Lauren [mailto:lmcgaughy@dallasnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:16 PM To: Jeremy Desel Subject: Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?   CAUTION: This email was received from an EXTERNAL source, use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please contact the Information Security Office (ISO). https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ik=b202d048e8&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ammiai-r-4984792423149568726&simpl=msg-a%3As%3A73565759… 2/5 10/2/2018 A. H. Belo Mail - Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?   Dear Jeremy, Now that I have the temperatures at Hutchins in July, I wanted to follow up and ask why TDCJ doesn't take temperatures inside its units. Is this mandated in law or policy some place?  Thanks much. ­ Lauren    ­­   Lauren McGaughy The Dallas Morning News State Capitol Reporter 512­423­6024 @lmcgaughy   Thank you for reading The News! Click here to become a subscriber.       ­­   Lauren McGaughy The Dallas Morning News State Capitol Reporter 512­423­6024 @lmcgaughy   Thank you for reading The News! Click here to become a subscriber. McGaughy, Lauren  To: Jeremy Desel  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:42 PM Thank you. And my other questions? (If the concerns are over temperatures inside, why aren't temperatures taken there (both for hot and cold)? Are there any units that do take temperatures inside, perhaps private facilities?) https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ik=b202d048e8&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ammiai-r-4984792423149568726&simpl=msg-a%3As%3A73565759… 3/5 10/2/2018 A. H. Belo Mail - Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside?   [Quoted text hidden] ­­       Lauren McGaughy The Dallas Morning News State Capitol Reporter 512­423­6024 @lmcgaughy    Thank you for reading The News! Click here to become a subscriber.  Jeremy Desel  To: "McGaughy, Lauren"  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 12:59 PM No units take inside temperatures.   From: McGaughy, Lauren [mailto:lmcgaughy@dallasnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:43 PM [Quoted text hidden] [Quoted text hidden] McGaughy, Lauren  To: Jeremy Desel  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 3:53 PM Dear Jeremy, Thanks again. (I'm still in this hearing btw, which is why I keep responding). In the Pack Unit order, Judge Ellison says temperatures were taken inside there until the lawsuit was filed. Was this true of the other units as well? If no, why not? And why has the state not decided to begin taking that inside temperature yet again? Regards, Lauren [Quoted text hidden] Jeremy Desel  To: "McGaughy, Lauren"  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 4:17 PM Again, we record temps outside for consistency and following the example of the National Weather Service. It is very difficult to record interior ambient temps because you cannot assume that one location is exactly the same as any other.   I don’t believe that your statement about the Pack unit is completely accurate. All our temps are recorded outside units.     Jeremy Desel Director, Communications https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ik=b202d048e8&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ammiai-r-4984792423149568726&simpl=msg-a%3As%3A73565759… 4/5 10/2/2018 A. H. Belo Mail - Why doesn't TDCJ take temperatures inside? Texas Department of Criminal Justice (O) 936-437-6052 Jeremy.desel@tdcj.texas.gov                                  From: McGaughy, Lauren [mailto:lmcgaughy@dallasnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 3:54 PM [Quoted text hidden] [Quoted text hidden] McGaughy, Lauren  To: Jeremy Desel  Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 4:20 PM Okay, thank you.  Just for reference. Here is the information from the Pack Unit opinion (2017):   "In 2011, the year that a heat wave hit Texas that led to the deaths of 10 individuals confined in TDCJ facilities, the Pack Unit experienced 74 days over 100 degrees, just one more than the number experienced in 2013. The heat index was regularly measured inside the dormitories until the present lawsuit was filed. Hearing Tr. 4 at 108. At that point, Warden Herrera ordered his staff to stop measuring the temperature and humidity. Id. Thus, the Court does not have as much information about the conditions inside the dormitories as it does about the conditions outdoors."   [Quoted text hidden]   2017­07­01 Heat lawsuit opinion.pdf  822K https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ik=b202d048e8&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ammiai-r-4984792423149568726&simpl=msg-a%3As%3A73565759… 5/5