A federal judge ordered Texas to air-condition every state prison by Dec. 31, 2029, finding that extreme-heat conditions violate the Eighth Amendment. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Lioness and two advocacy groups; Texas plans to appeal.
In a 150-page order, Judge Robert Pitman said about 88,697 people were housed in unairconditioned units heading into summer 2026; Texas’ corrections department provided cool beds for only about 37 percent of its population. The state must submit progress reports to the court every six months.
The federal case was filed in 2023 on behalf of Bernie Tiede, who argued that prison heat affected his health. Lioness joined and expanded it in 2024 with Texas Prisons Community Advocates and Texas Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants. Lioness staff logged heat-related letters from incarcerated members, which Pitman cited several times in his order.
