A federal judge has ordered Texas to install air conditioning across all state prisons by Dec. 31, 2029, ruling that extreme heat in facilities without adequate cooling violates the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The decision follows years of legal challenges over high temperatures and heat-related illnesses and deaths in Texas prisons.
Federal Court Sets 2029 Deadline for Prison Air Conditioning
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman directed the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to immediately develop and implement a plan to provide air conditioning throughout the state prison system.
As of Sept. 1, only slightly more than one-third of TDCJ’s 104 facilities were fully air conditioned, according to information presented in the case. About 90,000 incarcerated people were still housed in units without full air conditioning, while the agency reported 53,676 available cool beds.
Pitman’s ruling came after a federal trial earlier in 2026 examining the conditions faced by prisoners during Texas’ extremely hot summers. The judge had previously ruled in 2025 that excessive heat in the state’s prisons was likely unconstitutional punishment.
Under the new order, TDCJ must report its progress to the court every six months, with the first report due in March 2027.
Texas Prison Officials Plan to Appeal
TDCJ has said it will appeal the ruling and rejected the judge’s conclusion that the agency had failed to adequately address the dangers posed by extreme heat.
The department has pointed to several measures designed to reduce heat exposure, including cooled areas, cold showers, drinking water, fans and cooling towels. It also uses a heat-risk system intended to identify incarcerated people who may face greater risks from extreme temperatures.
TDCJ expects to increase the number of cool beds to 60,000 by the end of 2026 and approximately 90,000 by 2028. However, officials have also projected that the state’s prison population could exceed 150,000 by 2028, meaning many prisoners could remain without full air conditioning while the larger installation program is underway.
Cost and Funding Remain Major Issues
The statewide air-conditioning project could cost roughly $1.5 billion, according to the prison agency. TDCJ’s current budget request includes hundreds of millions of dollars for air-conditioning installations and new expansion facilities with climate control.
The court’s order comes after lawmakers have repeatedly considered, but failed to enact, broader requirements for climate control in state prisons. Texas has previously provided funding for additional cooling capacity, including money for cool beds and air-conditioned expansion facilities.
Pitman stated that financial concerns would not excuse failure to comply with the court’s deadline.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the long-running debate over prison conditions in Texas. The state has acknowledged heat-related deaths in its facilities in previous years, while officials and advocates have disagreed over the number of deaths directly attributable to extreme temperatures. In his latest ruling, Pitman said there was credible evidence that at least nine incarcerated people died from extreme heat between 2023 and 2025.
The ruling now puts the Texas prison system under a firm federal deadline: every state prison must have air conditioning installed by the end of 2029.
