Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates

1. Diagnostic

1 Since October 1, 1849, when a horse thief became the first person to be held in the state’s custody instead of by local law enforcement, Huntsville has been synonymous with Texas prisons. The beautiful town of Huntsville—nestled in the midst of the state’s most lovely forests; four votes from being state capital instead of Austin; adopted home of General Sam Houston—is, nonetheless, by virtue of that first prison, fated to always be linked with prisons in the minds of Texans. That unit, built in what would soon be downtown Huntsville and known as the Walls, also soon included the growing system’s administrative offices. Over a century later, as the system began to expand rapidly, it became obvious that a separate unit was needed as a processing center. The Diagnostic Unit, built in 1964 a few thousand yards from the original Walls, became that intake unit. While there are now other units that may also serve some of the functions as the Diagnostic Unit, (now called the Byrd Unit), it was the first, it remains the most thorough, and it is the one I will use as a model. Once men and women are sentenced to prison, they wait in the county jail until they “catch the chain” to Huntsville. That phrase—probably a reference to either the way inmates were chained together outside overdiagnostic Chapter One 2 Chapter One flowing small jails or to one-time chain-gang work squads—means to be transported, by county or state vehicle, to prison. TDCJ does not allow inmates to keep their clothes, radios, televisions, books, etc., but neither does it give inmates advance warning that they will be on a particular chain on a given day. If you have been convicted and are awaiting transportation to Huntsville, it is best that you have someone pick up all that you can not take with you. The only items allowed to each inmate are a watch, a wedding ring, a chain and religious medallion, and a pair of shoes. If inmates have cash money, it will be taken and deposited into an account in the inmate’s name and number after arrival. Incoming inmates should understand that if their jewelry and shoes are gaudy and/or expensive, other inmates will try to steal them. Since TDCJ sells inexpensive watches and shoes, I advise inmates to bring only an inexpensive chain with attached religious medallion, and, if married, a small wedding band. Anything else will attract attention and trouble. The first few hours at Diagnostic are by turns boring—inmates sit around in shorts and socks for hours at a time—and terrifying, at least to new inmates. The officers do what they can to impress inmates with the seriousness of the situation, and their gruff demeanor and harsh commands usually intimidate the newer inmates. Most experienced convicts are used to this, but “drive-ups” are noticeable by their bug-eyed faces and rigid postures . While stories of violent “testing” of new inmates by other inmates are mostly true, this will happen, if at all, upon arrival at one’s assigned unit, not at the Diagnostic Unit. TDCJ does not allow long hair or facial hair on male inmates; so all males get a burr, are ordered to shave, and may have to submit to a spraying of intimate areas with disinfectant. Inmates are allowed to spend a few dollars on necessary items and are assigned to cells. Although TDCJ has a policy of integrating inmates regardless of their prejudices, this will not happen until inmates arrive at their assigned units. While on Diagnostic, all inmates are assigned cellmates of the same race and roughly similar age and criminal history. This is to avoid violence before the system gets a chance to identify those prone to violence. The purpose of Diagnostic is to examine inmates in order to better classify them so they will present the least security risk to TDCJ. Any talk about an inmate’s rehabilitation and personal needs is way down the Diagnostic 3 list of priorities. This is important: the system is not there to rehabilitate, to perform surgery, or to provide education or substance abuse counseling . Those may be a by-product of prison, but they take a back seat to security. The mission of TDCJ is to incarcerate convicted criminals and to ensure they don’t escape. Becoming aware of physical...