Federal judge mandates air conditioning for all Texas prisons by 2029

In a 150-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman declared that Texas prisons must be equipped with air conditioning by the close of 2029, stating that extreme heat amounts to unconstitutional punishment. He noted testimonies of inmates suffering sickness, fainting, and resorting to extreme measures like splashing toilet water to cool down. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which currently has air conditioning for roughly 37% of its beds, faces an estimated $1.5 billion expense to retrofit the remaining facilities.

The ruling stems from a 2023 lawsuit initiated by life-sentenced inmate Bernie Tiede and later joined by advocacy groups, which cited multiple heat-related deaths dating back to 1998. Agency records confirm 23 deaths from heat between 1998 and 2012 and three additional fatalities in 2023, with further evidence of recent deaths. Prison reform advocate Amite Dominick said the order makes clear that budget concerns cannot outweigh human lives.