To Free the Truth

Most people have misconceptions about prison and what actually happens on the inside. You might be surprised to learn that inmates in the TDCJ don’t have access to swimming pools, tennis courts, microwaves, or the Internet contrary to popular belief. In fact, high security inmates on death row, ad. seg., and close custody don’t have access to televisions. It’s not that I’m complaining; I just want everyone to understand the truth of the matter. That’s roughly 20% of the 155,000 inmates here. 

The TDCJ is divided into 3 main security levels–minimum, medium, and maximum. For my purposes, I’ll describe the functions of a maximum security facility, which houses inmates of all security levels. 

A maximum security facility such as McConnell unit has two sides–A side and B side. A side is minimum custody or the ‘job’ side. Unless you are a confirmed gang member, have a high profile case, or were an extremely bad actor in the county jail prior to coming to prison, you start off on minimum custody. These prisoners run the ‘farm.’ They work in the kitchen, laundry, maintenance, commissary, paint crew, barber shop, clean up crews, they do clerk work, and a few even work the fields. B side houses medium custody, close custody, and ad. seg. (administrative segregation). On Polunsky unit, the ad. seg. building houses death row. 

Minimum custody inmates have T.V.’s in the dayrooms which are recreation rooms close to the housing area with benches and tables to sit on. Here you can play games such as dominos and chess or even write a letter. Each building has a large outside recreation yard with a universal weight machine, basketball court, and handball court. As long as you aren’t at work or on restriction, you can use the dayroom or outside rec yard from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends. 

Additional privileges for minimum custody inmates include admission to educational programs (i.e. GED classes, vocationals, college academics), the craft shop (woodworking, leather working, and art), and sporting tournaments. Minimum custody spends $85 commissary every two weeks if they have the money to spend. Contact visits are also possible for minimum custody. At a contact visit, you can sit with your family, hold hands, and even kiss them goodbye. Non contact visits occur with a glass partition separating inmate from visitor and you talk to each other via telephone receiver. Minimum can have 1 regular visit per week which lasts 2 hours. A special visit is reserved for family or friends which live over 300 miles from the unit. These visits are 4 hours a day on consecutive days (2 days only). You must be minimum custody to get 1 special visit a month. 

Chronic rule violators find themselves on B side, medium custody. Here your only job is the fields. Picking cotton and vegetables or pounding on dirt with a hoe or ‘aggie’ is your typical task. You are only allowed 4 hours of rec time a day, 2 regular non contact visits per month (no special visits), and GED classes only. Medium custody can spend up to $30 every 2 weeks on commissary. You generally 6-9 months on medium custody without a major disciplinary case before making minimum custody. 

Close custody is supposed to be for the most aggressive inmates. Fighting with a weapon, assault, or even multiple fights will land you on close custody. Here you can’t work anywhere. You only get 1 regular non-contact visit a month (no specials) and just 2 hours of rec a day. There’s no TV on close custody. Close custody can spend up to $20 commissary every two weeks. It takes about 9 months to a year without a major case to make medium custody from close custody. 

Death row and ad seg are housed on the same building, under a totally different set of rules than the general population. There’s a level system similar to behavioral modification of the custody system in general population. You are never allowed physical contact with anyone. Every time you leave your cell you must be handcuffed and escorted by two officers with riot batons. 

Ad seg/death row level 1’s have all of their property, get to recreate in a day room (no T.V.) or outside rec yard 10 hours a week. They get to spend $85 every 2 weeks on commissary. Level 1’s also get 1 regular noncontact visit per week (1 special visit a month), no contact visits. Level 2’s don’t have any electrical appliances except a fan. They get 4 hours of rec per week, no commissary privileges except $20 hygiene and stamps, and only 2 regular non contact visits each month (no specials). Level 3’s are treated the same as level 2’s except they get only 3 hours of rec a week and only 1 regular visit (non-contact) each month.

With close to 14 years experience in a maximum security facility, I have countless stories from both sides of a farm. For your convenience, they will be recorded under two subcategories: general population and the row.