Two Texas Prisons Ranked Among Worst in America

There are lots of fun and beautiful places to visit in Texas. Jail and prison facilities in Texas should not be on that list. Even a few county jails around the state have a reputation for violence and unsafe conditions.

While most prisons aim of helping inmates with rehabilitation and in time returning as productive members of society, that doesn’t always work out.

READ MORE: Texas Man Receives Longest Prison Sentence: 4,060 Years

Why Some Texas Prisons Rank Among the Worst

Most prison systems now recognize that it's important to invest in programs and training programs so inmates can have an opportunity to be successful after they complete their time behind bars.

According to 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.

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Reeves County Detention Center: Key Issues

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: Strict Conditions

The Allan 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 22 hours a day in their cells, with no television or visitors.

The last place you ever want to be is behind the walls at these facilities. Don’t break the law and you should have nothing to worry about.