The United States is home to thousands of imprisonment facilities all over the country. In this article, we’re going to look more closely at some of the oldest prisons in one part of the country, specifically Texas. We’ll examine where in the state they are located, what type of prison they are, and we’ll also examine their histories in closer detail.
Let’s get right into it.
6 Oldest Prisons in Texas
W.J. Estelle Unit
Location: Canada
Year of Opening: 56
Capacity: 2016
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The W. J. Estelle Unit is another prison located in Huntsville. This prison has one of the largest holding capacities on our list. It’s interesting to note that this prison was actually designed in response to the immense amounts of violence in the prison system throughout Texas.
This prison has multiple programs and facilities. These include programs for geriatric and handicapped people, a regional medical facility, and even a program for those dealing with substance abuse and addiction problems.
Did you know?
The W. J. Estelle Unit came under fire after it was revealed that two correctional officers allowed a group of three inmates to fight each other. They tried to cover up the crime but were unsuccessful and later sent to prison themselves.
Ellis Unit
Location: 1697 FM 980 Huntsville, Texas
Year of Opening: 1965
Capacity: 2,073
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
When the Ellis Unit was designed, it was created to be the strictest system in the entire state of Texas. It was designed by George Beto, and housed the death row unit for men for over 30 years until the unit was moved to the Hunstville Unit.
This prison was known for being one of the most brutal places to be imprisoned in the entire state, with poor living conditions and sweltering heat. Over the years, several prisoners have died in a variety of circumstances. These include being shot during fights, drowning during an attempted prison escape, and even overcrowding.
Did you know?
The Ellis Unit has no air systems or air conditioner units, leading prisoners to suffer temperatures that sometimes soar to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
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Ferguson Unit
Location: 12120 Savage Drive Midway, Texas
Year of Opening: 1962
Capacity: 2,100
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Ferguson Unit is located near Madison County, Texas, and was named after a former Texas governor named James E. Ferguson. When the first version of this prison opened in 1935, it housed both white and African-American people, though it later went on to house mainly white people. However, after 1962, this prison housed young offenders, usually men between the ages of 18 and 25.
At the time, in the 1965, the crimes that most of Ferguson’s prisoners committed were petty and small. The population included young men no older than 18. The oldest prisoner at the prison in 1965 was only 34 years old.
Did you know?
The Ferguson Unit’s prisoners were mainly young men who came from turbulent homes and troubled backgrounds.
J. Dale Wainwright Unit
Location: 2665 Prison Road #1 Lovelady, Texas
Year of Opening: 1917
Capacity: 2,153
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The J. Dale Wainwright prison was named after the Eastham family, and was Texas’s first maximum security prison. The Eastham family owned the land that the prison is currently located on. Just like some of the other prisons mentioned on our list, this prison also originally housed female inmates, but later moved the women to a different prison after a sexual abuse scandal took place.
This prison’s history with its inmates is quite a fascinating one. It was known for its hugely dangerous conditions, its long and difficult work assignments, and most importantly, how difficult it was to escape from. Although it housed women for a brief amount of time, it has housed only men for several years, and made them work in the fields for long stretches of time.
Did you know?
The J. Dale Wainwright Prison has housed the inmate Clyde Barrow, who was famously known for being one-half of the bandit pair Bonnie and Clyde.
Thomas Goree Unit
Location: Huntsville, Texas
Year of Opening: 1907
Capacity: 1,000
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Thomas Goree Unit was named after a Confederate Captain in the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. His name was Thomas Jewett Goree.
Though this prison was established in 1907, it was only opened in 1911 and was called the Goree State Farm for Women. At the time, the imprisoned women were segregated by race, and their jobs corresponded to their ethnic groups.
For instance, white and Hispanic women were given jobs in a garment factory while African-American women were assigned jobs working as farmers and field hands.
Although this prison was primarily a women’s prison for several decades, it later became a men’s prison in the 1980s. The female prisoners were shifted to an imprisonment facility in Gatesville.
Did you know?
The Thomas Goree Unit had a band of eight female performers who regularly performed together in the 1940s. They were called the Goree All Girl String Band.
Huntsville Unit
Location: 815 12th Street Huntsville, Texas 77342
Year of Opening: 1849
Capacity: 1,705
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Huntsville Unit is the oldest prison in the state of Texas, and is located in Huntsville. One of the most interesting things about this prison is that it originally was only for white prisoners.
This was because imprisonment wasn’t a punishment for African-American people at the time; they were subjected only to being executed through hanging or being whipped. It’s also interesting to note that when the prison was first opened, only women were imprisoned in it.
However, some people believed that the women in the prison would resort to immoral practices, and they were later moved to a different location.
It’s also important to note that the Huntsville Unit is where the execution chamber is located in Texas. There was a period of nearly 100 years when the primary method of execution was the electric chair. However, that method has since changed.
Did you know?
The Huntsville Unit is home to the most active execution chamber in the entire United States of America. There have been over 580 executions since 1982.
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Conclusion
In this article, we took a closer look at some of the oldest prisons in Texas. Most of these prisons have been around for over 50 or 60 years, and have housed some of America’s most famous and deadly criminals. We hope that you learned something new from this article, and that you enjoyed reading it.
