Texas prison higher-education programs may be entering a period of significant expansion, but access remains unavailable to thousands of eligible students.

A July 2026 analysis by Texas 2036 found that more than 135,000 people were incarcerated across 97 Texas prison units in August 2025. Using Fall 2025 enrollment data, the organization determined that roughly 60 percent of the incarcerated population lived at units where no college or university offered a higher-education program.

Texas 2036 reported that 33,829 incarcerated people were eligible for postsecondary education but had not enrolled in a program offered by an institution of higher education. Access also varied sharply by region. Central Texas and Gulf Coast units generally had stronger college partnerships, while South Texas, the Upper Rio Grande Valley and parts of North Texas had fewer opportunities.

Recent state reforms transferred day-to-day management of prison higher-education programs from TDCJ to the Windham School District, effective September 1, 2025. The change was part of the criminal-justice sunset legislation approved by Texas lawmakers.

As of April 2026, nine colleges and universities had been approved to offer new programming across 11 prison units. Seven of those units previously had no postsecondary program, and seven of the approved institutions were new TDCJ education partners.

Expansion will depend on funding, equipment, technology, qualified instructors and consistent access inside the units. The reforms also call for program evaluations and improved data sharing between Windham and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Education in prison has the potential to improve employment prospects after release and reduce barriers to successful reentry. The next test will be whether the planned programs reach the units and students that have historically been left out.

Source: Texas 2036, July 1, 2026.