A Closer Look at Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice

State of Higher Ed in Texas Prisons

Texas 2036’s report “Opening Doors: The State of Higher Education in Texas Prisons” shows a 50% decline in higher education enrollment among incarcerated Texans since 2011. It also discusses how expanding educational opportunities could reduce recidivism and improve economic outcomes.

What you can find in our data-driven report: Data on workforce outcomes and policy recommendations to strengthen Texas’ approach to higher education within state prisons as the 89th Legislature considers Sunset legislation for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Download the report

Dive in the handout

Download the report

A Look Inside Texas’ Prison System

Currently, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) facilities house over 134,000 individuals, with more than 45,000 Texans reentering society annually. Almost half of these individuals face rearrest within three years, while 15-20% return to prison.

TDCJ houses a few dozen to over 4,000 inmates in about 100 facilities, including:

prisons
private prisons
state jails and,
other kinds of facilities.

Texas 2036 takes a look at the latest data to better understand who make up the state’s frontline workers and the inmates and parolees they supervise.