Texas Prisons Lock Down Amid Crime Spike

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice ordered a lockdown of its prisons on Wednesday, a measure officials say is aimed at countering rising levels of drug-related crimes.

The lockdown means inmates will have limited movement and interactions, according to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) press release, and no outside visits will be permitted. The decision comes in response to an increase in homicides and illegal narcotics inside prisons. 

“The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is taking swift and immediate action to address a rise in dangerous contraband and drug-related inmate homicides,” the press release states. “Over the last five years, the volume of illegal narcotics entering the system has substantially increased. This directly impacts the safety of staff and inmates.”

“Additionally, this year the number of inmate-on-inmate homicides [has] increased. It is believed that the majority of the incidents are tied back to illegal drugs.” 

Outside prison walls, Dallas alone sees vast numbers of homicide and drug crimes, logging 170 reports of murder or non-negligent manslaughter and 6,108 reports of drug or narcotics violations since the start of the year.

TDCJ stated that a “comprehensive search of all correctional facilities within the TDCJ” would be conducted during the lockdown. 

Amanda Hernandez, a spokeswoman for TDCJ, said there have been 16 homicides in prisons this year, far exceeding the seven homicides last year and nine the year prior, The Texas Tribune reported.

TDCJ is also finalizing a digital mail program, which will require messages to inmates to be sent via email and processed in the prison digital mail center. The TDCJ said the program is a response to a “significant increase” in paper soaked in K2 or methamphetamines sent to prisons. 

Bryan Collier, the executive director of TDCJ, said the lockdown is a matter of ensuring the safety of its staff, inmates, and the public.

“A lockdown is a necessary response to confront the root causes of this crisis, enhance security measures, and ensure the well-being of all individuals within our agency,” Collier told the Tribune. “We are committed to finding the narcotics, but also working with the Office of Inspector General and outside law enforcement to dismantle the networks that are trafficking drugs into our systems.”

A 2021 joint investigation from The Texas Tribune and The Marshall Project that relied on dozens of prison testimonies determined that the main source of drugs in Texas prisons is TDCJ employees, which the report tied to low pay and understaffed facilities.

In 2021, the TDCJ implemented a program that increased drug-sniffing dogs on visitation days at prisons and only allows mail comprising either plain white paper or photographs. 

“The safety of inmates, staff, and the public is our highest priority,” Cris Love, the inspector general for TDCJ, said in a news release. “Illegal drugs within our facilities will not be tolerated. Individuals found smuggling contraband will be arrested and subject to prosecution.”