A federal trial over oven-like heat in Texas prisons wrapped up courtroom arguments this week, with the state saying it would cost $1.5 billion to install air conditioning across the sprawling system.
Testimony concluded Thursday in a federal court in Austin, said Jeff Edwards, an attorney for the prisoners suing the state. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman held the trial without a jury and is expected to rule in the coming months after reviewing written documents from both parties.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice oversees the largest state prison system in the country, with some 135,000 inmates. More than 60 percent of the system’s living quarters lack air conditioning.
The prisoners, along with nonprofit advocacy groups, argue that the conditions violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Critics also say climate change is making conditions more dangerous.
