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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) runs the prison system of the state of Texas, which houses inmates convicted of felony crimes and mid-level offenses known as state jail felonies.
The department also supervises offenders released from prison on parole.
The Texas prison system is only for mid-level and serious offenders. TDCJ does not deal with misdemeanor offenders, who are housed in county jails or released on bond.
Texas Prisons
Throughout the state, TDCJ operates more than 100 prisons and state jails. TDCJ maintains a list of all prison facilities here and a directory here.
In addition to prisons and state jails, TDCJ operates three psychiatric units and runs its own accredited hospital in Galveston, in cooperation with the University of Texas Medical Branch.
For offenders who are released on parole, the parole division contracts with several agencies which operate halfway houses, also called transitional centers or residential reentry centers.
The department headquarters is in Huntsville with additional offices in Austin.
Texas Prison Population
Texas prisons and state jails house approximately 118,000 inmates, according to the department’s 2021 annual statistical report.
Of these, 93% are male and 7% are female. The average age of offenders is 40.8 years and the average sentence duration is 20.8 years.
63% of inmates are serving time for a violent offense, 14% for a drug offense, 9% for a property offense, and 14% for other kinds of offenses.
Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation and in the world.
TDCJ Structure
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is overseen by an 11-member state board The board selects the agency’s executive director and sets overall policy direction. The members of the board are appointed by the Texas Governor.
The department encompasses three major divisions: Correctional Institutions Division, Parole Division, and the Community Justice Assistance Division.
TDCJ employs approximately 38,000 staff and has an operating budget of more than $3 billion, making it the largest state agency in Texas.
