The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Gurney Unit, near Palestine, Tx, will be temporarily closed this month.
A press release on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, from TDCJ announced the decision was made due to the there being less inmates in the system this year since 1995.
Starting in January 2020 the number of inmates has decreased by around 18,000 leaving around 122,000 inmates in TDCJ custody.
Because of this, Gurney Unit, an intake unit, can be safely idled and consolidate staff and inmates to without putting their safety at risk.
Gurney Unit was opened in December 1993 and can hold 2,128 inmates.
While the unit is currently being idled, it will be reopened in the future when numbers return to pre-COVID-19 numbers.
The vacancies in the Coffield, Michael, Powledge and Beto Units will be staffed with employees from the Gurney unit.
