Robert Lee Pitman

Stories

Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by end of 2029

As of September 2026: Presiding judge; issued the Sept. 22 order

A federal judge has ordered Texas to install air conditioning in every state prison by the end of 2029. The ruling, issued Sept. 22, follows a three-year lawsuit over summer heat that advocates said pushed heat indexes past 130 degrees in some units.

Updated Sep 24

The age verification wars

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Issued preliminary injunction blocking Texas SB 2420

A federal judge blocked Texas from forcing Apple and Google to verify every app store user's age, calling the law akin to requiring ID checks at bookstore doors. This December 2024 ruling is the latest defeat in a wave of state attempts to age-gate the internet.

Updated May 16

Notable Quotes

"In the face of clear evidence of risk, including ongoing injuries, deaths, and suffering every summer, Director Lumpkin's failure to enact a meaningful, committed plan to install air-conditioning on the timeline that TDCJ has repeatedly indicated is possible is deliberate indifference."

from Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by end of 2029 · Updated Sep 24

"Even where heat conditions do not result in immediate injuries or death, the heat in Texas prisons creates degrading, inhumane conditions and causes severe suffering."

from Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by end of 2029 · Updated Sep 24

"The Act is akin to a law that would require every bookstore to verify the age of every customer at the door and, for minors, require parental consent before the child or teen could enter and again when they try to purchase a book."

from The age verification wars · Updated May 16