It's a known fact that Texas prisons are no joke. We aren't talking about "city jails" like the ones in Houston or Dallas even though those can be pretty bad in their own right.

We're talking about TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) and ask anyone that's been to one of their prisons and they will tell you that those are 4 letters you DON'T WANT to hear. Even some county jails have notorious reputations for being violent, unsafe conditions and even being "understaffed" to the point of where the inmates run it and not the guards.

Prison Isn't Meant To Be Nice Anyway.

Let's be honest here, prison is a PUNISHMENT. Despite efforts to reform the system and focus more on rehabilitation for offenders so they can get back to being productive members of society, with things like job courses and education, America and most of the modern world continues to cling to locking folks up for their misdeeds. This explains why so many inmates and prisoners are in and out of the system.

Texas Has Two Of The Worst Prisons In America.

According to a new study by Money Inc., Texas has two different prisons on the list of Worst Prisons in the country. One is a "County Jail" way out in the West Texas desert and the other is Deep East Texas where the worst of the worst offenders are kept locked down.

Reeves County Detention Center - Pecos, TX

Reeves DC is a private prison that at one time housed approximately 3,750 prisoners. Most of those detained in the complex have committed nonviolent crimes, including entering the country without the proper permission and documentation. Two of the biggest issues there is overcrowding and understaffing and in 2021, two of the three prison units were closed down because they weren’t meeting standards set out by the Federal Bureau of Prisons according to KOSA.

The Worst Prison In Texas Is - Allan B. Polunsky Unit, Livingston, Texas

The Alan B. Polunsky Unit is considered the hardest place to serve time in Texas, and its considered the 2nd worst prison overall in America. Most of Texas' Death Row inmates are here serving time until their final day arrives to be executed. Inmates here spend 22 hours a day in single cells, with no television or visitors.

EDIT: This was originally published August 22, 2023