I.
INTRODUCTION
The TDCJ Heritage: A Historical Perspective
Through the years, the prison system of Texas has operated under several titles.
■
1848 – 1866
Texas State Penitentiary
■
1866 – 1957
Texas Prison System
■
1957 – 1989
Texas Department of Corrections
■
1989 – Present Texas Department of Criminal Justice
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
II.
1.
Identify the various titles under which the Agency has operated from inception to
the present.
2.
Identify and summarize the various periods characterizing the Agency from
inception to the present.
3.
List two accomplishments of the Ellis Administration.
4.
List two accomplishments of the Beto Administration.
5.
List two historical factors relating to the Carrasco Incident.
6.
Summarize the impact of Ruiz v. Estelle on the operations and services of the
Agency.
PRESENTATION
The Heritage: A Historical Perspective
A.
The Formative Years (1836-1861)
1.
The first prison in Huntsville opened its 225 cells to three prisoners in 1849.
2.
After Texas became a state in 1845, the Texas Legislature began to consider
the need to establish a penitentiary. On May 1, 1848, legislation was passed
authorizing the governor to establish a three-member commission to select a
site for a prison. That same year, the commission selected a site "on a
beautiful eminence in the town of Huntsville, the county seat of Walker."
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B.
The Civil War (1861 - 1865)
1.
2.
C.
D.
Products from the prison cotton mill were sold to the public. Eventually the
mill, manned by convicts from Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, as well as
laborers from the free-world, assisted the Confederacy during the Civil War.
As the manpower pool dwindled due to the war, Union prisoners of war
were used in the manufacturing effort.
In December 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution abolished slavery throughout the nation. However, prisoners
remained slaves of the State. Texas prisoners were used to help fill the
labor void left by the abolition of slavery.
The Labor / Lease Period (1866 - 1909)
1.
In 1866 the Texas Legislature established the Board of Public Labor and
directed its members to serve contracts with private interests for the use of
inmate labor.
2.
"A convicted felon, whom the law in its humanity punishes by confinement
in the penitentiary instead of death, is subject while undergoing that
punishment, to all laws which the legislature in its wisdom may enact…He
has, as a consequence of his crime, not only forfeited his liberty, but all his
personal rights except those which the law in its humanity accords him. He
is for the time being a slave of the State. He is a civiliter mortuus; and his
estate, if he has any, is administered like that of a dead man."
Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871)
The Farm System (1910 - 1936)
Large agricultural ranching operations became hallmarks of the prison system.
E.
The Decline (1937 - 1947)
1.
The period from 1937 - 1947 was characterized as a time of decline and
backsliding for the Texas Prison System. The offender population kept
increasing, but the productivity of the farms remained about the same. The
system was permeated with brutality, self-mutilation, sexual perversions,
incompetence and petty theft.
2.
"At the Darrington Farm, where most of the prisoners under 25 who have
been to the penitentiary once or more are kept, the 333 inmates live in tanks
that were designed for 250 inmates. They are sleeping in double-deck
bunks so close together it is hard to see how they can get enough fresh air.
The stench is awful for they get soap enough for only one-fourth of the men
in the tanks to get a soap and water bath every three weeks; and at this farm
there is no provision for the prisoners to wash their clothing. In rainy
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weather the prisoners are unable to wash their own clothing, even in plain
water. At the Retrieve Farm inmates are so crowded they actually sleep on
the floor. I.K. Kelly, Warden of the farm, said the unit was designed to take
care of 350 men and the population is currently 475. More than 100 men
are assigned to sleep on the double-decker bunks jammed against one
another. In one tank, 31 prisoners are sleeping on the brick floor."The Houston Chronicle (1
F.
The Reform Years (1947-1973)
1.
The Ellis Administration (1948 -1961)
O.B. Ellis was appointed as a reform-minded Director of the Texas Prison
System. He initiated broad-scale improvements in agricultural operations;
vocational training and educational programs; and housing and salaries for
staff. The prison system became much more self-sufficient under his
direction.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
1.
____________________, ___________________, and __________________ were three
accomplishments of the Ellis Administration.
2.
The Beto Administration (1962 - 1972)
Dr. George Beto was selected as Director of the Texas Department of
Corrections upon the death of O.B. Ellis. He continued many of the Ellis
reforms. Another accomplishment of the Beto Administration was the
Windham School District. The Texas Department of Corrections became
nationally known for its clean, orderly and secure institutions under his
leadership.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Cooper v. Pate (378 U.S.
546/1964) that prisoners have the right to challenge administrative
practices in prison.

In 1971, Guajardo v. Estelle established that TDC could not deny
inmates the right to correspond with inmates on the same or
different units pertaining to legal matters.

In 1972, Lamar v. Coffield prohibited TDC from racially
segregating offender housing and job assignments.
“Though we may be dealing here with some of the most incorrigible
members of our society (although not solely), how we treat these particular
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individuals determines to a large extent, the moral fiber of our society as a
whole; and if we trespass beyond the bounds of decency such excesses
become an affront to the sensibility of each of us.”
Circuit Judge Tuttle - Novak v. Beto
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
1.
__________________________ and ____________________________
accomplishments of the Beto Administration.
G.
were
two
Conflict and Consolidation (1973-1998)
1.
The Estelle Administration (1972 - 1983)
In 1974, Judge William Wayne Justice, United States District Court
(Eastern District of Texas) consolidated eight separate offender petitions
into a class action suit entitled Ruiz v. Estelle. Judge Justice requested that
the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the facts alleged in the prisoners'
complaints and participate with the full rights of a party to the suit.
2.
The Carrasco Incident
3.
The Pack/Moore Homicides – an offender was acquitted for the homicides
of a Warden and top prison official. This caused much outrage amongst
prison staff and concerns for staff safety.
4.
The Death of Minnie Houston – One of the first female correctional officers
was murdered by an offender in the Officers Dining Hall. This raised
additional concerns for the suitability of female correctional officers in male
facilities (female correctional officers were allowed in male facilities as a
result of K.K. Coble vs. TDCJ).
5.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is established in 1989.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
1.
2.
______________________ and _____________________ are two historical factors
relating to the Carrasco Incident.
_______________________________,
__________________________,
and
_______________________________ are three judicial decisions that significantly
impacted the operations and services of the TDCJ.
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H.
Recent History (1998-Present)
1.
End of Ruiz/Federal Oversight - On June 17, 2002, the civil action of Ruiz
v. Estelle was dismissed, thereby ending the federal oversight of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice.
2.
Connally Seven
a.
b.
c.
Amended Count Procedures
Revised Security Procedures (Additional Guidance and
Clarification)
Modified the Offender Classification Plan to Include Reassignment
of Offenders to More Appropriate Security Levels
3.
The Homicides of Daniel Nagle/Stanley Wiley/Rhonda Osborne – These
homicides brought about an unprecedented review of officer safety.
Initiatives included the installation of body alarms, the use of carry-onperson chemical agents, Defensive Tactics Training (to include the 60
Second Survivor), the use of thrust vests (stab-resistant vests), and BOSS
chairs (chairs that x-ray the orifices of offenders to reveal hidden
contraband).
4.
Hurricane Rita Response
Prior to the huge Category 3 hurricane making landfall near Sabine Pass in
far Southeast Texas, TDCJ completed its largest evacuation ever, utilizing
ground vehicles and aircraft to move more than 9,400 offenders to safety.
5.
CID Reorganization
The Correctional Institutions Division was reorganized to enhance
communication, coordination, consistency/uniformity, and access to
resources. It is initially expected to be staffing and cost neutral with
possible future fiscal benefits as we explore opportunities to more
efficiently share resources.
The CID facilities were reorganized into six geographical regions instead
of the current five geographical regions and one mission (state jail)
oriented region.
6.
ACA Accreditation
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III.
IV.
APPLICATION
SUMMARY
Through times of trials and tribulations, years of decline and progressive leadership,
periods of order and controversy, the prison system of Texas continues to evolve through
its heritage and the legacy passed down by those who have come before us into what is
now a dynamic and exemplary correctional entity - the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice.
V.
EVALUATION
Written Examination
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