Latest news with #TDCJ
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texoma job seekers invited to multiple hiring events
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Workforce Solutions has several hiring events for job seekers in Texoma. The first hiring event has partnered with the City of Wichita Falls for to fill water distribution jobs. It will be Wednesday, June 18 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Galaxy Center – Entrance 5 at 4309 Old Jacksboro Hwy. Applicants must have a valid driver's license, but CDL training will be provided. On-the-spot interviews will be conducted. On Tuesday, June 24, a hiring event with the Allred Unit will take place. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., also at the Galaxy Center – Entrance 5, TDCJ will be recruiting for full-time and part-time correctional officers. In addition to paid training, TDCJ offers complete healthcare and retirement benefits. Applicants must bring a valid driver's license, a social security card, and proof of education. For those in Cottle County, a job fair will be held at the Bicentennial City-County Library on Thursday, June 26 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Applicants should bring their resume. The last event is the Summer Job Fair at the Iowa Park Optimist Club on Thursday, July 10 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
TDCJ Executive Director announces retirement
(FOX 44) – Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Executive Director Bryan Collier has announced his retirement, effective August 31. TDCJ says this comes following a long career of public service. Collier assumed the role of Executive Director on August 1, 2016. In addition to guiding the agency through Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19, TDCJ says Collier's leadership was instrumental in decreasing the recidivism rate to one of the lowest in the country, coordination with State's leadership to secure significant pay raises for correctional staff and parole officers, and investing in the rehabilitation and reentry of those incarcerated. Under Collier's leadership, the agency embraced innovation, broke ground on a new state-of-the-art training facility, issued tablets to more than 130,000 inmates, and implemented transformative programs such as the Field Minister and Life Coach approaches to peer support, and the STRIVE inmate self-improvement curriculum. TDCJ says Collier has held a wide variety of positions during his 40 years of service to the agency. These include clerk, correctional officer, parole officer, section director, parole division director, deputy executive director, and executive director. Collier has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Corrections from Sam Houston State University. He is a member of the American Correctional Association (ACA), serving on the Board of Governors, Vice President, and as Vice-Chair of the Performance-Based Standards Committee. TDCJ says Collier has received numerous awards – including ACA's Best in the Business Award, Correctional Leaders Association (CLA) Edward R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award, CLA Michael Francke Career Achievement Award, and Dr. George J. Beto Hall of Honor Award. The Executive Director is appointed by the nine-member Texas Board of Criminal Justice. Chairman Nichols says the TDCJ the board has started the process of appointing a new executive director. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Bill Requiring State Prisons to Have Air Conditioning Has Passed
Marlin, TX (FOX 44) – The Texas House has passed a bill that would require state prisons to have air conditioning. The bill would require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to install air conditioning at each of its facilities by the end of 2032. The TDCJ will install climate control units in three phases, each covering around one-third of the facilities they control. Experts suggest that the lack of air conditioning in correctional facilities poses significant health and safety risks for inmates and staff because of the state's extreme heat conditions. In an exclusive interview only on Fox44 News, I spoke with an ex-inmate who served her time in Marlin's Hobby Unit. She says the summer months were deadly with no air conditioning. 'I'm upstairs, the top floor, and we're in a metal building, it's like extremely hot. It gets up to 150 degrees. They have little fans downstairs but not for upstairs. I mean we are criminals, but we are human. They treat us like dogs….and people are dying, they're killing us,'said former inmate Vanessa Parker. Each phase is expected to cost around $100 million with the first required to be completed by December 31, 2028. The second phase would be completed by 2030, with the remaining facilities being complete by dec. 31, 2032. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill requiring air conditioning in all Texas prisons wins preliminary House approval
The Texas House gave preliminary approval Thursday to a bill requiring prisons to have air conditioning by the end of 2032. Lawmakers passed 89-43 House Bill 3006 by Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. If the Legislature or the federal government allocates funding, it will require the installation of climate control in phases to be completed by the end of 2032. The bill must go through one more round of approval in the House before it can clear its last hurdle in the Senate. 'The bill targets key housing units and medical spaces, kitchens, and administrative offices in state prison facilities to ensure the most critical spaces are temperature-controlled,' said Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, a co-sponsor of the bill, told lawmakers. The bill mandates that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice purchase and install climate control systems to ensure temperatures are maintained between 65 and 85 degrees in certain areas. The installation will occur in three phases, capped at $100 million per phase, and completion is set for 2028, 2030 and 2032. This session, four prison heat-related bills filed by House members have been referred to the House Corrections Committee: HB 1315, HB 2997, HB 3006, and HB 489. However, Canales' bill was the only one to make it out of committee. Officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state's 101 prison facilities, asked lawmakers for $118 million over the next biennium to install air conditioning in about 11,000 units. Even if lawmakers grant that request, millions more will be needed to get to the at least $1.1 billion the TDCJ says will be needed to fully air condition its prisons. Since the House Corrections Committee wrote in its 2018 interim report to the Legislature that TDCJ's heat mitigation efforts were not enough to ensure the well-being of inmates and the correctional officers who work in prisons, lawmakers have tried to pass bills that would require the agency to install air conditioning. None of those bills made it to the governor's desk. During that time, TDCJ has been slowly installing air conditioning. The department also has added 11,788 'cool beds' and is in the process of procuring about 12,000 more. The addition is thanks to $85.5 million state lawmakers appropriated during the last legislative session. Although not earmarked for air conditioning, an agency spokesperson said all of that money is being used to cool more prisons. Still, about two-thirds of Texas' prison inmates reside in facilities that are not fully air conditioned in housing areas. Indoor temperatures routinely top 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and inmates report oppressive, suffocating conditions in which they douse themselves with toilet water in an attempt to cool off. Hundreds of inmates have been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses, court records state, and at least two dozen others have died from heat-related causes. The pace at which the state is installing air conditioning is insufficient, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman wrote in a 91-page decision in late March. The lack of system-wide air conditioning violates the U.S. Constitution, and the prison agency's plan to slowly chip away at cooling its facilities — over an estimated timeline of at least 25 years — is too slow, he wrote. Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said in an emailed statement that the supplemental appropriations bill will include the $118 million TDCJ requested to fund approximately 11,000 new air-conditioned beds. It also will include $301 million to construct additional dorms — which the prison agency requested to accommodate its growing prison population — and those new facilities will all be air-conditioned. An internal investigation also found that TDCJ has falsified temperatures, and an investigator hired by the prison agency concluded that some of the agency's temperature logs are false. Citing that report, Pitman wrote 'The Court has no confidence in the data TDCJ generates and uses to implement its heat mitigation measures and record the conditions within the facilities.' First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Securus Technologies and Workbay Partner with Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Expand Workforce Development for Incarcerated Individuals
Since Launch, Over 100,000 Individuals Engaged in Workforce Training Through Securus Tablets, with 6,800+ Transitioning to Post-Release Employment Support PLANO, Texas, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies, a trusted innovator in correctional facility technology solutions, and Workbay, a leading career development platform, are joining forces to support the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in its forward-thinking approach to rehabilitation and reentry. Through this collaboration, TDCJ is expanding access to career training, digital learning tools, and direct pathways to employment—empowering incarcerated individuals with the tools for long-term success and strengthening the workforce across Texas communities. The partnership has delivered quick results. In just the first month, the program has been implemented across 102 correctional units. Already, over 100,000 incarcerated individuals are actively participating in workforce training, and more than 8,400 individuals have secured access to post-release employment support. This initiative plays a key role in supporting Governor Greg Abbott's goals of reducing recidivism and strengthening Texas communities by ensuring returning citizens possess the skills to succeed. "Securus is committed to turning rehabilitation into lasting change, ensuring incarcerated individuals have the necessary tools to succeed beyond confinement," said Kevin Elder, President of Securus Technologies. "Through our partnership with Workbay, we are breaking barriers to employment, equipping individuals with the skills, resources and connections they need to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities after release." Workbay's Workforce Development Tools Include: Career Pathway Exploration: Over 2,500 career videos and 1,400 career cards to introduce individuals to in-demand industries. Employer Engagement and Job Matching: Direct connections to Second Chance employers across Texas. Reentry and Soft Skills Training: Modules on job readiness, financial literacy, and professional communication. "Our mission at Workbay is to empower justice-impacted individuals by removing obstacles and creating real employment opportunities," said Mary Hayes, CEO at Workbay. "We are proud to partner with Securus and TDCJ to deliver this groundbreaking, comprehensive workforce solution uniquely designed to bridge skill gaps and drive meaningful change in reentry outcomes." Early data indicates the program is delivering substantial gains in motivation, goal setting, and workforce readiness among incarcerated individuals. This increased preparedness aligns with the growing employer demand for Second Chance hiring, given the growing gap in open roles and available talent. During Second Chance Month, Securus Technologies and Workbay are reinforcing their commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration through expanded workforce training and employment opportunities. This investment is generating significant value by fostering safer communities, reducing recidivism, and building a stronger workforce. For more information about Workbay's programs, visit To learn more about Securus Technologies' commitment to second chances, visit Securus TechnologiesHeadquartered in Plano, Texas, Securus Technologies® (Securus) is an Aventiv Technologies company that serves more than 1,800 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies as well as over 1,000,000 incarcerated individuals across North America. Founded in 1986, Securus offers innovative solutions like phone and video connections and e-messaging, which connect family and friends to their incarcerated loved ones. Their secure monitoring and investigative solutions aid law enforcement and correctional facility staff in their operations and efforts to maintain public safety in communities nationwide. As the pioneers of tablet technology, Securus introduced the first corrections-grade tablet in 2011, revolutionizing how communication, entertainment, reentry, and educational resources are deployed in complex corrections environments, elevating efficiency in operations and stronger reentry outcomes. For more information, please visit or follow us on social media on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook. WorkbayWorkbay delivers a unique digital workforce development platform designed specifically to support incarcerated individuals as they prepare for successful reentry into the workforce. Available on secure tablets within correctional facilities, Workbay provides interactive, video-based training courses, career pathway exploration aligned with local employer demand, multimedia resume-building, and direct employer connections. Post-release, individuals continue to access personalized employment support through facilitating sustained employment and reducing factors of recidivism. By bridging the gap between incarceration and employment, Workbay empowers justice-involved individuals, strengthens local economies, and enhances community safety. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Aventiv Technologies Sign in to access your portfolio
