By Tiffani Jackson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas prison officials are asking lawmakers for $298 million to expand air conditioning across the state’s prison system.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says the money would add more than 15,700 air-conditioned beds over the next two years, according to The Texas Tribune.
But how far would that money go toward cooling the entire prison system? And what protections are in place for inmates without AC?
Here’s what to know.
Do Texas prisons have air conditioning?
Yes, but air conditioning isn’t available in every housing area across the state’s prison system.
Of Texas’ 104 prisons, only 38 are fully air-conditioned. Another 53 are partially air-conditioned, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. As of Sept. 1, the agency currently had 53,676 air-conditioned beds available.
Texas lawmakers have approved hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to expand air conditioning in state prisons. That includes $85 million in 2023 and another $118 million in 2025 specifically for air-conditioning projects.
The state also provided $110 million to purchase and operate the fully air-conditioned Dalby Unit in Post, Texas, and $301 million to build 14 expansion dorms with 5,600 air-conditioned beds.
TDCJ says funding approved during the most recent legislative session will add an estimated 25,500 air-conditioned beds.
Combined with projects already under construction, that would bring the system’s total to about 90,000, according to the agency.
How much would it cost to fully air-condition Texas prisons?
TDCJ estimates it would cost about $1.5 billion to fully air-condition the state’s prison system, according to The Texas Tribune.
In a June court filing, the agency outlined a two-phase plan that called for about $774 million in the 2028-29 state budget and another $730.7 million over the following two years.
TDCJ is also seeking $591.8 million to build expansion dorms with climate control.
If lawmakers approve that request along with the funding for additional air-conditioned beds, the agency says the projects would add more than 21,000 cooled beds.
Is there a temperature limit for Texas prisons?
The rules depend on where someone is incarcerated.
County jails must keep occupied areas between 65 and 85 degrees, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
That requirement doesn’t apply to state prisons operated by TDCJ.
Lawmakers have tried to change that. During the 2025 legislative session, bills were filed that would have set a similar temperature requirement for state prisons, but neither made it out of committee.
The fight over prison temperatures has also reached federal court.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman previously found conditions in prisons where indoor temperatures routinely surpass 100 degrees during the summer to be “plainly unconstitutional,” according to The Texas Tribune.
He’s now considering whether to order the state to install air conditioning throughout its prison system.
How does Texas protect inmates from extreme heat?
From April 15 through Oct. 31, TDCJ screens inmates for medical conditions or medications that can make them more vulnerable to heat.
Those who receive a heat-sensitivity score are given priority for air-conditioned housing, according to the agency.
Inmates also have access to respite areas, cold showers and chilled water. Fans and cooling towels can be purchased through the prison commissary, while free fans are available to inmates who can’t afford one on a first-come, first-served basis.
TDCJ can also restrict outdoor work and recreation because of the heat. Staff and inmates are trained to respond to heat-related illnesses, and those participating in outdoor activities are given frequent water breaks.
Inmate advocates say those measures don’t go far enough. They argue that the heat-sensitivity screening doesn’t identify everyone who may be at risk and that other cooling measures offer only temporary relief, according to The Texas Tribune.
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