Texas Inmate Search

An average of 129,653 individuals are incarcerated in Texas prisons and state jails, according to a report by the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The state's prison system also has about 75,000 inmates in other jail facilities, including county jails. The capacity of each correctional facility varies widely, from a few dozen to about 4,000 inmates per facility. Dallas and Harris counties, with an average inmate population of 5,709 and 9,159, respectively, are the counties with the highest number of inmates in Texas.

Inmate search plays a vital role in Texas's criminal justice system. Generally, inmate search tools enable public access to important information about incarcerated persons, including the locations where they are being held, the facility type, and sometimes, the offenses that led to their incarceration. In addition, inmate search in Texas allows families of inmates to understand their incarceration status and to find out the potential release dates of such inmates.

What is Texas Inmate Lookup?

Texas inmate lookup is a type of service used by interested parties to find information about individuals who are incarcerated in the state's correctional facilities. This service also provides information about inmates who have been released from such facilities. A typical Texas inmate lookup will reveal an inmate's location, status, crime committed, and other crucial details.

The ability of the public to look up inmates in Texas promotes public safety and demonstrates the state's commitment to accountability and transparency in the operations of its prison system. In addition, inmate lookup services play a crucial role in the state's legal and judicial process. They are generally used by legal professionals in legal research and for case management purposes.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) provides an Inmate Information Search system that allows the public to find certain details about incarcerated individuals. Also, interested persons may look up inmates in the state by contacting the TDCJ by email or telephone.

What Information Can You Find in a Texas Inmate Search?

You will find the following information when you conduct inmate searches on individuals incarcerated in Texas correctional facilities:

• Name
• TDCJ Number
• Age
• Gender
• Current facility
• Visitation eligibility (Yes or No)
• Projected release date
• Race
• SID Number
• Offense history
• Maximum sentence date

How Are Inmate Records in Texas Created and Stored?

Inmate records in Texas are first created when a person is arrested. Then those records are updated and follow the inmate throughout the entire justice system. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is the government agency in charge of inmate records. They keep them online and searchable in a database that is updated frequently. This allows the general public the ability to perform an inmate lookup at any time of day or night.

What Does Texas's Prison System Look Like?

Texas's prison system consists of over 100 facilities. These include about 75 correctional facilities, 16 state jail facilities, 4 substance abuse facilities, 1 multi-use facility, 2 parole facilities, 4 private prisons, 1 pre-parole facility, and 7 training academies. In addition, there are over 200 county jail facilities in the state. Although the private prisons are operated by contractors, the jail facilities were built and are owned by the State of Texas (excluding the East Texas multi-use facility). The state's prison system is managed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

Nearly two-thirds of the over 28,000 TDCJ's employees are frontline workers. These people deal directly with incarcerated inmates and parolees in the state. About 5% of these frontline workers are parole officers, while 60% are correctional officers. Over 60% of inmates in Texas's prison system are being held on violent offenses, 9% on property offenses, and 15% on drug-related offenses.

Types of Correctional Facilities in Texas

The state of Texas has about 91 of its state-run prisons and jails but also uses four private facilities to hold inmates. All of these institutions are overseen by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department also runs five juvenile detention facilities. The federal government has 15 federal prison facilities in the state of Texas. Additionally, there are over 200 county jails throughout the state, which are run by local Sheriff's Offices.

Texas State Prisons

Texas has a lot of state prisons. Each has a different focus, demographics, and units for different levels of custody (minimum security to maximum security). They are operated and managed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. There are at least 101 state prisons in Texas.

Texas County Jails

Texas has over 230 county jails. These facilities are overseen and managed by local law enforcement, and they typically offer jail inmate searchers through inmate rosters maintained on their websites. The list includes:

• Alice - Jim Wells County Jail
• Alpine, former Brewster County Jail
• Andrews - former Andrews County Jail
• Coldspring, Old San Jacinto County Jail
• Coleman, Coleman County Jail Feature
• Columbus - Colorado County Jail
• Mount Vernon, Franklin County jail
• Navasota, Grime County, a former jail
• New Boston, Bowie County old jail
• Oakville - Former Live Oak County Jail
• Paducah - Former Cottle County Jail

Texas Juvenile Detention Centers

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is the agency in charge of youth offenders. They keep five juvenile detention centers to house minors who have committed crimes. The five juvenile detention centers in Texas are listed below:

• Evins State Juvenile Correctional Facility
• Gainesville State Juvenile Correctional Facility
• Giddings State Juvenile Correctional Facility.
• McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility
• Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Facility

Texas Community Correctional Facilities

Some counties in Texas have community correctional facilities that operate as a part of the state's community correction system under the Community Justice Assistance Division of the TDCJ. These facilities exist primarily to house offenders who the courts require to live in special facilities while they complete their community supervision.

Texas community correctional facilities generally give all offenders the appropriate sanction and treatment while saving the state prison bed spaces for violent felons. The state has about 25 residential facilities (community correctional facilities).

The types of community correctional facilities in Texas include the following:

• Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities (SATF) - These facilities provide offenders with cognitive-based substance abuse treatment.
• Dually Diagnosed Residential Facilities (DDRF) - These facilities are designed to provide sentencing alternatives for the court for offenders with documented/proven mental health challenges.
• Court Residential Treatment Centers (CRTC) - They are designed to house and provide treatment for substance abuse offenders. In addition, they provide vocational skills training and education for such offenders.
• Intermediate Sanction Facilities (ISF) - These facilities operate as intermediate sanctions for offenders who violate supervision.

Why are People Incarcerated in Texas?

People are incarcerated for several types of offenses in Texas. However, depending on the nature, there are varying levels of punishments, including prison and jail incarcerations as specified in the state's Penal Code. Generally, a person may be incarcerated for felony (first, second, or third-degree) and misdemeanor offenses in Texas if found guilty. An inmate search on the TDCJ's Inmate Information Search system may provide the reason a person is incarcerated in the state.

In Texas, assault, murder, arson, robbery, sexual assault, bigamy, escape from felony custody, manslaughter, indecent contact with a child, and attempted capital murder are examples of felony offenses that lead people to incarceration in state prisons or jails. Similarly, misdemeanor offenses, such as DWI, public intoxication, riot, prostitution, criminal trespass, harassment, unlawful possession of weapons, and burglary of a vehicle may lead to offenders' incarceration in county jails. While incarcerating offenders to ensure public safety, the TDCJ believes that real public safety may only be achieved through the rehabilitation of inmates in its custody.

Under the Texas Penal Code, felonies or misdemeanors are classified into several categories. They are either classified as offenses against property, offenses against the person, inchoate offenses, or offenses against the family. Other classifications are offenses against public order and decency, offenses against public administration, and offenses against public health, safety, & morals, all of which may lead a guilty person to prison or jail.

Texas's Incarceration Rate and Statistics

After California, Texas operates the second-largest prison system in the United States. The state's incarceration rate for year-end 2022 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction was 452 per 100,000 total population. The number of prisoners at the year-end of 2022 was 139,631, while the jail population was 75,838.

The table below shows Texas's year-end incarceration rate for seven consecutive years, between 2016 and 2017:

Life After Incarceration in Texas

Typically, anyone released from a correctional facility in Texas is expected to return home. Such people often find it difficult to successfully re-enter society after release from incarceration. In most cases, they encounter barriers while trying to get employment or affordable housing. However, Texas provides certain reentry resources to help former inmates re-integrate successfully back into the community after release from state or county correctional facilities.

At about 20.3%, Texas has a relatively low recidivism rate compared to most states. In order words, only about 20.3% of former inmates in the state return to correctional facilities within 3 years This can be attributed to the reentry program provided by the state's Reentry and Integration Division. The reentry program is in three phases and is all designed to prepare inmates for a successful return to their communities after release from incarceration.

Phase I of the Texas reentry program generally helps eligible offenders acquire replacement state identification cards, social security cards, and certified birth certificates at the time of release from correctional facilities. On the other hand, in Phase II, eligible former inmates complete risk and needs assessment, while individuals at moderate to high risk of re-offending are provided with individual case planning. Community reentry services generally come in at Phase III. Services offered at this stage include employment readiness training and employment services to enable former inmates to secure sustainable employment.

How Does Parole Work in Texas?

Parole is a supervisory program in Texas where an inmate is let out of prison early to return home. However, they must follow some strict rules, including regular check-ins with a parole officer. Failure to comply with set rules will land them back in prison.

Texas's Parole Population in 2022

Source - U.S Department of Justice (Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022)

How Does Someone Get Probation in Texas?

Some judges prefer to order probation rather than prison. In cases where the offender does not pose a risk to society, this option helps with prison overcrowding. Probation is a supervisory program also where the probationer must follow a set of rules to remain free, or they will go to prison.

Texas's Probation Population in 2022

Source - U.S Department of Justice (Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022)