Texas Almanac, 1958-1959 Page: 372

                                
Texas Department of Corrections
The Fifty-fifth Legislature, 1957, enacted a  canteens net approximately $75,000 per year
law changing the name of the Texas Prison   and the rodeo,nets about '100,000 annually,
System to the Texas Department of Correc-   Which gives the department an annual budget
tions, the name of Texas Prison Board to the  of approximately $175,000 to spend for the
Texas Board of Corrections, and the title of  benefit of the inmates. for services. not pro-
the General Manager of the Texas Prison     vided by the Legislature such as religious
System to the Director of Corrections.      programs, recreational activities, prostetic
The administration of the Texas Depart-   aids of all types, library facilities and educa-
ment of Corrections is 'by the Board of Cor-  tional and vocational education services,
rections composed of nine members appointed  Units of the Department-Types of Prisoners.
by the Governor for 6-year overlapping terms.  Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Walker Coun-
These board, members draw no regular sal-   ty.-Administrative -headquarters including
aries and serve as a. general policy-making  general administrative, finance department,
group. The administration of the Department  personnel and, machine records, bureau of
of Corrections is the responsibility-of the Di-  classification and records, hospital; Hunts-
rector of Corrections who is employed by the  ville prison including warden's, office, stew-
board. The director is O. B. Ellis (as of Sept.  ards department, laundry, and segregation
1, 1957). See index, "Corrections, Board of--,.  department. Industrial departments include
for page reference to personnel of board.   license plate plant, mechanical, construc-
The central unit of the Department of Cor-  tion, power, utilities, electrical shop, print-
rections and administrative headquarters are  ing, prison store, shoe manufacture and tex-
located at Huntsville. There are eleven other  tile mill.
units of the department located within a      Central Unit, Su ar Land, Fort Bend Coun-
radius of 164 miles of Huntsville.          ty.Farm, hosUnita, cheese plant, gin, feed
Fixed assets of the Department as of Janu-  il.Farm,  hospital. cheese plant, gin, feed
ary 1,1957, including land, buildings and equip-   power plant packing plant, canning
ment, were $16,886,511.30. New construction  plant, large i commissy, mechanical depart-
completed before the en of 1957 represented  m  t and ice plan-Type of prisoners Frst-
an additional 3,742988.79 Total $20,9,500.09.  offender whites under at Unit No. 1; sec
Total income from agriculture and. industries  nd-offender Negroes under 25 at Unit No. 2.
for the calendar year 1956 amounted to       'Goree Unit, Huntsville, Walker County.-
$6.05t1,35.48. Total expense operating the  Clothing factory. Type of prisoner: Women.
Department for the same period was $8,817,    Harlem Unit, Richmond Fort Bend County.-
171.62.                                     -Farm and brick plant. Type of prisoner: In-
Capital Improvements.             mates of Latin-American extraction first-of-
The Fifty-first Legislature, 1949, appropri-  fenders and best rehabilitative prospects un-
ated $4196,075 for reconditioning the system  der 25 at Unit No. 1; Inmates of Latin-Ameri-
and  building  a  new  maximum    security  can extraction recidivists, over 25 at Unit
unit within the "Walls." The Fifty-second   No. 2.
Legislature appropriated $R0,000ifor capital  Ramsey Unit, Otey, Brazoria County.-
mprovements. The special session of 1954 ap-  Farm, livestock, dehydrator, sawmill, gin
proprated $3.500,000 for a new 1,000-man unit  and grain dryer. Type of prisoner: White
at Eastham Farm located 50 miles north of   recidivist at Unit No. 1; Negro recidivist over
Huntsville. The Fifty-fifth Legislature. appro-  25 at Unit No. 2.
printed $900,000 for replacing the' cell block  Wynne Unit, Huntsville; Walker County.-
at Huntsville, built in the 1880's; $1,000,000  Farm, broom factory, garment and mattress
for the addition of facilities for 600 more  factory. Type of prisoner: Physically handi-
men at Eastham to complete the master plan;   capped, of all ages.
$1.000.000 fora cell-block building at Wyne
$300,000 for beth houses and dormitories at   Blue Ridge Unit, Missouri City, Fort Bend
Rmsey;     0,000 for an audritorium  garment  County.-Stock and grain .'farm. This farm
factory, and laundry anthe womens prison;  operates as a unit of the Central Unit. All
actory,50.000 for additional emen s prson;  prisoners are transported to and from the
and 150,000 for aditional employee housing   lue Ridge Unit for dailywork assignments.
at various units, and a packing plant at        e      Unit  ary work assignments.
Central Farm. During the same period, ap-     Clemens Unit Brazoria, Braoria County.-
provded Form byDuheertin ca  neris ap-  carrg ro   ls5     .denng.  Tpe of
proximately $5,490,000 of prison-earned rev-  Farm, gin and    truck gardening. Type of
enue has gone into capital Improvements.    prisoner: First-offender Negroes.
During the nine and .a half years, ending   Darrington  Unit, Sandy Point, Brazoria
June 30, 1957, the prison population increased  County-Fa, Type ofprisoner: White sec-
from 5.762 to -.9,930, which means that with  ond offenders.
al the improvements which have been made,    Eastham Unit, Weldon, Houston County.-
the prois e more crowded now thaben at any  The newest andmost modern facities of the
time prison is more crowded now than at anyty  department. 'General farming  ith a large
timehog and cattle                                         operation. Industries consist
- Prison Income.              of dehydrator plant, gin and, sawmill. Type
The Prison System has 74.000 acres of fer-  of prisoner: Sepondoffender white, Including
tile land. The agricultural operations "com-  Latin-Americans, and Negroes.
bined with prison -industries and"construc-  Ferguson.Unit, Midway, Madison County.-
tion projects being carried on with inmate  Stock farm: and vegetable raising. Type of
labor give Texas the best work program of   prisoner: Anglo-American and Latin-American
any state in the Union mid, also', one of the  trusties--honor far.
lowest per capita costs to the taxpayers.     Retrieve' Unit, Angletln- Brzoria County.-
Costs per inmate per day were as follows:   Farm and sawmill.     e of prisoner: Second
1948, $84; 1949. $.99; 1950, .74; 1951, $49;  offender and habitul Negro offenders over
1952,:159; 1953,$. 69 1954, $9; 1955, $.67;  25 years of age.-,.
1956, $"84.                                        Classes of Clemency Granted.
Prison Population.              A. Parole.-A parole releasesan inmate from
The average -number of- prisoners during  imprisonment to serve the remaining prton
1956 was 9.08, 8"During 1956, 4;793 prisoners  of his sentence under supervislon- and under
were received; 4,136 weredischa'd ed. and the  the rul e g out' by ,the Board of Pardons
inmate -pii latont. lireased byyV .-W  "'  and Pae~in the .*0ol.e certificate. ,While
- Educational and Recreational "Programs.  on parole,' the :innamte- reins ' inder legal
The educational and recreational-. program  custody of the state, and -the parole is sub-
of the Texas department of iCorrecti a  Is  ject to revocatin until the date he is" ds-
provided for. b the operation of canteens at  charged from  ls sentence. The State Board
each prison uilt; -and the annual pribn rodeo  of Pardons and Paroles agents the parole, but
which is held each Sunday in October. The   it is not effective until the Governor approves
372