Public Safety

Contraband

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. The agency is dedicated to reducing the amount of contraband in the system by improving processes, technology, and security intelligence.

Strategies:

• Upgrade equipment such as body scanners, parcel scanners, and metal detectors to help detect contraband being brought into the facilities.
• Enhance drug testing, including fentanyl, through the use of mobile drug testing applications.
• Expand the kennel program to increase canine searches for visitors and volunteers.
• Establish a communication platform that facilitates real-time intelligence notifications from investigators to stakeholders.
• Expand treatment programs to combat substance use.

Citizens Academy

To help foster meaningful relationships with government officials, media, and citizens, the TDCJ will develop a Citizens’ Academy providing community members a behind-the-scenes look at the agency in their area.

Strategy:

• Establish a pilot program and then expand to all regions.

Community Supervision

TDCJ will implement new policies, programs, and services to improve the success of our clients in their communities.

Strategies:

• Explore modernization of the community supervision system structure to improve practices, responses to violations and, ultimately, revocation rates.
• Examine use of a statewide case management system to enable real-time access to community supervision data.
• Reduce the number of warrants issued each year by reviewing and changing policies.
• Enhance transparency of community supervision system through an interactive dashboard.
• Reduce the amount of time inmates are waiting to release to Residential Reentry Centers through improved home plans and increased bed availability.

De-Escalation

The TDCJ’s mission is public safety — protecting the inmates in our custody and the staff that are dedicated to serving our great state. To improve safety measures, the agency is enhancing de-escalation methods.

Strategies

• Conduct de-escalation training twice a year on crisis intervention, verbal deescalation, de-escalation practices, skills to manage aggressive situations with mentally ill individuals, and the agency’s Behavioral Intervention Plan.
• Evaluate the needs of the inmate population, including restrictive housing, female inmates, and those with a mental health or cognitive impairment. Update training and policy to address those needs.
• Establish a virtual reality training to facilitate real-life scenarios.
• Deploy tasers to all units for use in emergency situations.
• Deploy body cameras to 23 units.
• Track de-escalation events through the body cameras and taser systems.

Next Pillar: Workforce