Criminal Justice Department Requests $208M for IT Services and Staff

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has requested a $208 million biennium budget for strengthening IT and statewide surveillance systems in the exceptional items of its Fiscal Year 2026-27 legislative appropriations request (LAR).

Here is a breakdown of the agency’s exceptional-item request:

• $85.4 million and 87 full-time employees (FTEs) for body cameras statewide
• $29.3 million for broadband connectivity expansion
• $29.1 million for video surveillance equipment replacements
• $22 million for telephone system upgrades
• $19.5 million for Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) integration solutions
• $14 million and 74 FTEs for IT staffing
• $7.8 million for electronic control devices
• $1 million for a crime management system

For comparison, TDCJ’s requested capital budget is approximately $136 million less than what the agency was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill (HB 1) for FY 2024-25.

According to the LAR, TDCJ’s IT department is severely understaffed in comparison to similar state agencies. The requested FTEs will enhance project management, enterprise solutions, information security, infrastructure and customer service, among other key operational areas.

The requested CAPPS integration solutions are necessary for the maintenance of current business processes with the expected implementation of CAPPS by FY 2026.