Texas Prisons Seek Nearly $300 Million for Air Conditioning as Heat Battle Intensifies

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas prison officials are asking state lawmakers for nearly $300 million to expand air conditioning across the state's correctional system, an issue with particular significance in Huntsville, home to several major prison facilities and the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

TDCJ has requested approximately $298 million over the next two years to install air conditioning for more than 15,700 additional prison beds. The agency says the investment would represent significant progress toward addressing extreme temperatures inside facilities that were often built decades before modern climate-control standards.

But $298 million would address only part of the problem.

TDCJ officials estimate it could cost approximately $1.5 billion to fully air-condition the Texas prison system. Nearly two-thirds of the state's 104 prisons are not completely air-conditioned, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune.

The issue has become the subject of a major federal court battle. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman is considering whether Texas should be required to provide broader climate control after previously finding extreme prison temperatures to be “plainly unconstitutional.” Indoor temperatures at some facilities can exceed 100 degrees during Texas summers.

The state and inmate advocates sharply disagree over the extent of the danger.

A lawsuit alleges at least 10 prisoners died from heat-related causes between 2023 and 2025. TDCJ disputes that figure, attributing several deaths to causes including drug overdoses and other medical conditions. The agency has acknowledged more than 150 cases of heat-related illness involving prisoners and employees since 2022.

Huntsville has a direct connection to the controversy. TDCJ has acknowledged that one recent death was likely heat-related: a prisoner who collapsed while playing soccer in the recreation yard at Huntsville's Goree Unit.

Texas has already committed substantial money to the problem. Lawmakers provided $85 million in 2023 and another $118 million during the following legislative session to expand cooled capacity. More than $400 million was also authorized in 2025 for air-conditioned expansion dormitories and the acquisition of an existing climate-controlled correctional facility.

TDCJ is separately requesting $591.8 million for new expansion dormitories with climate control. Combined with the proposed air-conditioning upgrades, the projects could add more than 21,000 cooled beds if approved.

Prison officials argue that converting the entire system cannot happen overnight. Many Texas prisons are old, located in rural areas and require major electrical and mechanical upgrades. TDCJ Executive Director Bobby Lumpkin has also said the department must balance air-conditioning expenditures against healthcare, security, food and other responsibilities.

For Huntsville, the debate is more than an abstract state-budget issue. Prisons have been part of the city's identity and economy for generations.

Now, with another Texas summer ending and lawmakers preparing for the 2027 legislative session, the question is increasingly straightforward:

How much is Texas willing to spend to cool its prisons—and how quickly can it get the job done?