Judge Orders Texas to Have Air Conditioning at All Prisons by End of 2029
Judge Robert Pitman said Texas prison officials showed deliberate indifference as the state reported 53,676 cool beds and sought more funding for climate control.
- On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to install air conditioning in all state prisons by December 31, 2029, ruling that current conditions violate the Eighth Amendment.
- Initiated in 2023 by inmate Bernie Tiede, the lawsuit argues that extreme heat constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, a claim Pitman found "plainly unconstitutional" in a 2025 ruling.
- Evidence presented at trial showed summer heat routinely soars above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in facilities, where inmates described desperate conditions including splashing toilet water on themselves, which Pitman wrote was "common."
- Amite Dominick, president of Texas Prisons Community Advocates, said the ruling "made clear that the state cannot keep treating human lives as a budget line," while the prison agency said it is reviewing the decision.
- The order complicates budget planning for the 2028-29 biennium, as Texas previously requested $289 million for air conditioning, far less than the $1.5 billion estimated for full system-wide installation.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Judge orders Texas to have air conditioning at all prisons by end of 2
DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas to install air conditioning in all of its prisons, saying that inmates in lockups without it are being given punishments that violate their constitutional rights. U.S. District
Judge orders Texas to have air conditioning at all prisons by end of 2029 – WTOP News
DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas to install air conditioning in all of its prisons, saying that inmates in lockups without it are being given punishments that violate their constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman said in the 150-page order that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice must come up...
The Toronto Star
Judge orders Texas to have air conditioning at all prisons by end of 2029
DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas to install air conditioning in all of its prisons, saying that inmates in lockups without it are being given punishments that violate their constitutional rights.
Judge Orders Texas to Air Condition All State Prisons by 2029
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