TDCJ, with $4.25 billion in general appropriations, manages all state prisons, jails and correctional facilities. It also provides funding and oversight of community supervision and oversees all inmates released from prison on parole or mandatory supervision. This translates to 87 TDCJ-operated facilities across 268,581 square miles, with 29,951 employees, 127,690 inmates and 75,782 parolees.
This and all state agencies are required to develop long-term strategic plans in even-numbered years. These plans include, among other information, mission and goals, performance measures, populations served, resource analysis and expected service or mission changes due to legal changes. In turn, this planning guides agency budgets.
Technical goals within the TDCJ document include:
- Continuing to install comprehensive video surveillance systems to support safety and incarcerated inmates’ custody, care and management
- Continuing security purchases including body-worn cameras to support safety and incarcerated inmates’ custody, care and management
- Maintaining the Integrated Victim Services System, the victim hotline, an online portal and the Texas Victim Resource Directory to support victim services
This plan also speaks to the workforce, and as the TDCJ has a massive footprint, the report lists concerns about the technology expertise needed in the current and future workforce and also the availability of virtual training. The parole division needs to deliver GPS and associated training to monitor an average of 1,800 high-risk offenders wearing electronic monitoring, so it is studying how virtual training can be used to decrease cost and travel time.
Another recent legislative requirement for the TDCJ was submitting its Sunset report at the end of August. The 337-page report takes a deep dive into its mission, goals, responsibilities and history, while summarizing recent statutory changes and appropriations.
Here, the agency reports on technological impacts on its operations. Potential impacts include the in-flight Corrections Information Technology System modernization.
Highlights of this project:
- Contracted to Microsoft
- Work commenced in August 2021
- Cloud-based mainframe replacement
- Touches all systems
- Multiyear project
The Sunset Advisory Commission is reviewing 12 agencies during this biennium, looking toward the 89th Legislature. Texas established the process with the Texas Sunset Act in 1977 to monitor agency performance and to recommend agency abolishment or changes that improve efficiency and effectiveness, according to the commission website.
