The $323.3 billion biennial state budget is awaiting the governor’s signature but there is a potential for line-item vetoes.
The bill would:
- Provide $23.9 million for body-worn cameras
- Provide data center services funding
- Maintain staffing levels
The TDCJ in a September update stated that the agency had asked largely for staffing, staff pay and inmate care but is also hoping to update and replace technology.
Among technical asks listed in that update were:
- 7,000 computers and laptops: $7.8 million
- Video surveillance system updates: $6.3 million
- Body-worn cameras: $23.9 million
- Radio and communication infrastructure: $4.4 million
- Cybersecurity: $1.1 million
- Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) changeover: $2.3 million
- Additional IT staffing
The agency’s legislative appropriations request and exceptional items summaries are posted online. It employed about 47,700 in 2022, more than half the employees are prison guards in locations across the state.
