On July 22, 2011, an inmate collapsed and died after only three days in the facility. His death was attributed to the hot environment of the prison; his body temperature was over 109°F when admitted to the hospital. His family filed a wrongful-death suit against the state, citing nine examples of Texas state inmates dying of heat-related causes in 2011 alone.[2] Larry McCollum, the individual who died, had a 12-month sentence for check fraud. Hutchins Unit still has no air conditioning in the 9 standard housing units.[3]
