Outside Thoughts about Texas Prison Lockdown

/ politics and prison, prison conditions, Prison innovation / By
When it comes to Texas prisons, there is no real system. Instead, there is a mostly rural network of correctional facilities run by wardens with wide latitude to run “their” units as they see fit. It is essentially a patchwork quilt without uniform policies or procedures. The prime directive, on paper, is to promote positive behavior change. The enormous gap between what prisons are supposed to do and what they actually do was highlighted during the last meeting of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on August 25 in Galveston. Anyone comparing TDCJ Director Collier’s report to those of the 37 people who registered to speak during the public comment section would think they were talking about two different worlds.

With Texas prisons now in a statewide lockdown in an attempt by the administration to crack down on drug-fueled violence, suicides, and excessive contraband, the time is right to identify what is out of alignment with the mission. Current and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families and friends have lots of recommendations about this but have never been asked to be part of the solution, and they need to be. They constitute a huge think tank with valuable insight and ideas that would help administrators create changes that work.

Searching every nook and cranny of every prison will doubtless yield lots of contraband. However, that response does not address fundamental structural issues. When fear, anxiety, stress, helplessness, and hopelessness are primary features of prison life, it is logical to expect violence and escape via drug use.

Prisons are not required to be places where such an atmosphere prevails. That is a choice whether by design or neglect. Either way, those with lived experience know there is a better way. Fortunately, there are examples of other states implementing innovation in an effort to ensure that those released from prison are better off than when they entered. Texas prison administrators could learn from them.
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-norway-humanity-prisons.html