Texas Prisons Ordered To Install Air-Conditioning by 2029 After Judge Rules Extreme Heat Unconstitutional

A federal judge has ruled that extreme heat inside Texas prisons violates the US Constitution, ordering the state to install air-conditioning across its prison system by 2029 in a decision that could affect tens of thousands of inmates.

The ruling addresses years of complaints about dangerously high temperatures in prisons where many cells lack cooling, leaving inmates exposed to potentially life-threatening conditions during the state's hot summers.

The decision also raises questions about how quickly Texas can upgrade its prison facilities and protect prisoners while the work is carried out.

The case places Texas at the centre of a wider debate over prison conditions, public spending and the constitutional duty to protect people in state custody. The ruling could require extensive construction work and substantial funding, while setting a deadline for addressing a problem that has drawn legal challenges for years.

Judge Finds Extreme Prison Heat Violates Constitutional Rights

US District Judge Robert Pitman issued the 150-page ruling on Tuesday, 22 September, finding that conditions in Texas prisons without air-conditioning violate the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

According to The Texas Tribune, Pitman ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to immediately develop and implement a plan to install air-conditioning in every state prison by 31 December 2029.

The judge found that the prison system's existing measures to protect inmates from extreme heat were insufficient, citing evidence of injuries, deaths and suffering during successive summers.

The ruling follows years of litigation over prison temperatures, including a 2025 decision in which Pitman found that excessive heat was likely unconstitutional punishment.

TDCJ said it would appeal the ruling. The state disputes the judge's findings, while the decision remains subject to further legal proceedings.

How Many Texas Prisons Still Lack Air-Conditioning?

The scale of the required upgrades is substantial. As of 1 September, just over a third of Texas's 104 prison facilities were fully air-conditioned, according to TDCJ figures reported by The Texas Tribune.

The agency reported having 53,676 air-conditioned beds available, with plans to increase that number to more than 61,000 by the end of 2026 and nearly 90,000 by early 2028.

However, the state's prison population is projected to top 150,000 by 2028, leaving a significant gap between available cooled accommodation and the number of inmates.

The health risks are particularly serious in a prison system where many facilities lack air-conditioning. TDCJ has acknowledged that at least 23 people died from heat-related causes between 1998 and 2012, while inmate advocates say at least 10 additional deaths between 2022 and 2025 can be attributed to high temperatures.

Texas Faces $1.5 Billion Prison Cooling Challenge

The ruling also creates a significant funding challenge for Texas, which must now accelerate its prison cooling programme. According to The Texas Tribune's September budget report, TDCJ estimated that installing air-conditioning throughout its prison system would cost approximately $1.5 billion.

The agency had previously outlined a two-phase plan that would complete the upgrades by the end of 2031. However, Pitman rejected that timetable and ordered the work completed two years earlier, while requiring the prison system to provide progress reports to the court every six months, with the first report due by 22 March 2027.

TDCJ's latest budget proposals include $289 million specifically for installing prison air-conditioning and $591.8 million to build expansion dorms with climate control.

Combined, the agency said these proposals would create more than 21,000 cool beds, although the request was significantly below the amount TDCJ previously told the judge it could obligate from the Legislature in the upcoming budget cycle.

Why Texas Prison Heat Has Faced Years of Legal Challenges

The latest decision follows more than a decade of legal disputes over extreme temperatures inside Texas prisons. In 2014, inmates at the Wallace Pack Unit, a geriatric prison near College Station, challenged conditions at the facility, with the lawsuit eventually resulting in a settlement requiring permanent air-conditioning.

The current case, which began with a complaint filed in 2023 and later expanded, covers prisoners held in uncooled facilities throughout the state.

Texas law already requires county jails to maintain temperatures between 18°C and 29°C (65°F and 85°F), but efforts to introduce comparable cooling requirements across state prisons have repeatedly failed in the Legislature.

The September ruling establishes a system-wide deadline for installing air-conditioning, although its implementation will depend on funding, construction progress and any further legal proceedings. TDCJ disputes the broader death toll, arguing that some deaths could instead be attributed to drug overdoses or underlying medical conditions.