Air conditioning to be installed in all prisons in Texas

A federal judge in the U.S. state of Texas has ordered that air conditioning be installed in all prisons for inmates held in sweltering heat conditions. According to the ruling, the work must be completed by December 31, 2029. This was reported by The Texas Tribune.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman noted in a 150-page ruling issued on September 22 that conditions in prisons without air conditioning violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. He ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to immediately develop a plan to install air conditioning in all facilities.

As of September 1, slightly more than one-third of the 104 facilities under TDCJ's jurisdiction were fully air-conditioned. There are 53,676 cooled spaces available, leaving nearly 90,000 inmates in non-air-conditioned conditions.

In the ruling, the judge noted there is reliable evidence showing that at least nine inmates died due to extreme heat between 2023 and 2025. Pitman also stated that this figure may be underestimated.

Meanwhile, the TDCJ stated that it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal. The department reported that it currently uses cooling rooms, water, cold showers, fans, and special cooling towels. Additionally, it plans to increase the number of cooled spaces to 60,000 by the end of 2026 and to 90,000 by 2028.