Texas Is Now Home to America’s Second Worst Prison

Texas prisons are no joke. Even a few county jails around the state have reputations for violence and unsafe conditions.

Despite efforts to reform the system and shift its focus to rehabilitation and return inmates to society as meaningful and productive members, it's not easy.

Two Of America's Worst Prisons Are Here in Texas

Most prison systems here are now realizing that it's important to invest in these folks and offer benefits, including job training and education. After all, the rest of the country is moving on with or without them.

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According to a study from Money Inc., two prisons in Texas make the list of the Worst Prisons in the country. The first one we will look at is located in the West Texas desert. The second is found in Deep East Texas, where the worst of the worst offenders are locked up.

Reeves County Detention Center - Pecos, TX

Reeves DC is a private prison that at one time housed approximately 3,750 prisoners. Most of those locked up here have committed nonviolent crimes.

The two biggest issues at Reeves are overcrowding and understaffing. In 2021, two of the three prison units had to be closed because they weren’t meeting standards set forth by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to KOSA.

Allan B. Polunsky Unit, Livingston, Texas

The Alan B. Polunsky Unit is considered the hardest place to serve time in the Lone Star State. It ranks as the second-worst prison in America. Most of Texas's death Row inmates are housed here. These inmates spend twenty-two hours a day in their cells, with no television or visitors.