A federal judge is considering whether to mandate air conditioning in Texas prisons. Advocacy organizations have argued that the state's failure to provide adequate cooling measures has resulted in dangerous and deadly temperatures for inmates.
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Media Coverage · April 26, 2026
A federal judge is considering whether to order the Texas prison system to install air conditioning, after advocates argued that the current temperatures are causing harm to inmates. The plaintiffs claim that temperatures can reach as high as 149 degrees, violating the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The judge will weigh the state's efforts to reduce the heat against the advocates' demands
newspaper Read articleFederal judge weighs mandating air conditioning in the United States’ largest prison system By Leigh Waldman, CNN (CNN) — A decision whether to mandate air conditioning inside Texas prisons is in the hands of a federal judge, as advocacy organizations try to force the state to address what they allege are dangerous, deadly temperatures inmates endure. For years leading up to the two-week trial in Austin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says it has made efforts to mitigate heat inside it
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A federal judge is considering whether to order the Texas prison system to install air conditioning, after advocates argued that the current temperatures are causing harm to inmates. The plaintiffs claim that temperatures can reach as high as 149 degrees, violating the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The judge will weigh the state's efforts to reduce the heat against the advocates' demands for more drastic measures.
Federal judge weighs mandating air conditioning in the United States’ largest prison system By Leigh Waldman, CNN (CNN) — A decision whether to mandate air conditioning inside Texas prisons is …
Federal judge weighs mandating air conditioning in the United States’ largest prison system By Leigh Waldman, CNN (CNN) — A decision whether to mandate air conditioning inside Texas prisons is …
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