Story perspectives

Judge Orders Texas Prisons Full Air-Conditioning by 2029

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 11:20 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered Texas prisons to install full air-conditioning by Dec. 31, 2029.
Pitman said the heat violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
He required the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to file progress reports every six months, first due March 22, 2027.
As of Sept. 1, only a third of 104 prisons had full AC, providing 53,676 cool beds.

1 of 1

Story summary

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered Texas prisons to install full air-conditioning by Dec. 31, 2029.
Pitman said the heat violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
He required the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to file progress reports every six months, first due March 22, 2027.
As of Sept. 1, only a third of 104 prisons had full AC, providing 53,676 cool beds.