Texas 'lionesses' win fight to air-condition prisons by 2029 for 88,000 inmates
A federal judge has ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to install air conditioning in all state prisons by the end of 2029. The ruling follows a lawsuit highlighting the life-threatening conditions faced by inmates during extreme summer heat.
Why it matters
This decision addresses a significant human rights issue regarding inmate safety and the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
They call themselves “lionesses” for a reason. The women behind the Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance say their name reflects the determination, loyalty and collective strength that have driven their fight for safer conditions inside Texas prisons.Founded in 2022 by a small group of formerly incarcerated women, the nonprofit has spent years pushing back against practices they say harm people caught in the criminal legal system. One of its biggest battles has been over extreme temperatures inside Texas prisons.Now, a federal court has ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to air-condition all state prisons by December 31, 2029.The 19th reported that the ruling followed a lawsuit brought by Lioness alongside Texas Prisons Community Advocates and Texas Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants. U.S.
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