Court Orders Texas Prisons to Cool All Facilities by 2029

A federal judge has ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to air-condition all state prisons by December 31, 2029, a plan expected to cost about $1.5 billion. With only roughly one-third of facilities cooled, Judge Robert Pitman ruled that uncooled prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment and mandated an actionable plan, plus semiannual progress reports (the first due March 22, 2027). The state has proposed funding for direct cooling and climate-controlled expansion, but budget constraints and political hurdles raise questions about timely completion, as inmate advocates highlight heat-related injuries and deaths in recent years.