A federal judge has ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to install air conditioning in every state prison by the end of 2029. Judge Robert Pitman ruled that un-air-conditioned facilities violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, siding with prison reform advocates and formerly incarcerated Texans who described extreme heat conditions and presented research linking high temperatures to deaths in custody.

TDCJ says it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal. The department estimates the project could cost around $1.5 billion, a figure that’s already setting up a legislative fight. State Representative Venton Jones of Dallas says funding the mandate will be a priority in the next session, while advocacy groups behind the lawsuit are celebrating the decision as a long-overdue step.

The ruling affects hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people across Texas, and it raises bigger questions about constitutional rights, state spending, and how Texas handles heat in its facilities. With 2029 as the deadline and an appeal in the works, this story is far from over. What do you think: should Texas be required to cool its prisons, or should lawmakers decide?