Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by the end of 2029

A federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition all 104 state prisons by December 31, 2029, finding that lack of cooling violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling, which could cost $1.5 billion, came after evidence of inmate injuries and deaths from excessive heat, with only about one-third of facilities currently air conditioned. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice plans to appeal, disputing the judge's finding that the agency acted with deliberate indifference.