Texas Prisons Required to Install Air Conditioning by 2029
WHO:
CNN - Amite Dominick, founder and president of Texas Prisons Community Advocates, stated, “We will be watching every deadline in this order.”
NY Post - U.S. Judge Robert Pitman ordered the state of Texas to take action regarding prison conditions.
WHAT:
CNN - The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has estimated that systemwide air conditioning would cost about $1.5 billion.
CNN - The number of air-conditioned beds in Texas prisons has increased from 35,000 in 2018 to an expected 60,000 by the end of this year, with a projected increase to 90,000 by 2028.
CNN - The judge's ruling noted that 23 people died in Texas prison facilities from heat-related causes between 1998 and 2012, with three additional heat-related deaths acknowledged in 2023.
CNN - The judge wrote that plaintiffs presented "credible evidence" of additional deaths from 2023 to 2025 that were at least in part caused by heat.
NY Post - A ruling was made that requires Texas to install air conditioning in all state prisons.
Texas Tribune - The deadline for the installation of air conditioning is by the end of 2029.
WHERE:
NY Post - The ruling pertains to all state prisons in Texas.
WHEN:
Texas Tribune - The air conditioning must be installed by the end of 2029.
WHY:
NY Post - The ruling was based on the determination that extreme heat conditions in prisons are unconstitutional.
HOW:
Texas Tribune - The judge's order mandates the installation of air conditioning as a response to the identified unconstitutional conditions.
(UPDATED September 23, 2026 11:58 UTC)
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has estimated that implementing systemwide air conditioning in prisons would cost around $1.5 billion. Currently, the number of air-conditioned beds in Texas prisons has risen from 35,000 in 2018 to an expected 60,000 by the end of this year, with projections indicating an increase to 90,000 by 2028. Amite Dominick, founder and president of Texas Prisons Community Advocates, emphasized their commitment to monitoring every deadline related to this issue.
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(UPDATED September 23, 2026 01:22 UTC)
A U.S. judge has ordered Texas to take action regarding prison conditions, mandating the installation of air conditioning in all state prisons. This ruling comes in response to the determination that extreme heat conditions in these facilities are unconstitutional, with a deadline set for the installation to be completed by the end of 2029. The decision affects all state prisons across Texas, aiming to improve living conditions for inmates.