The Texas Department of Criminal Justice plans to add approximately 5,600 prison beds across 14 facilities as the agency prepares for a projected increase in the state’s incarcerated population.

Lawmakers approved more than $300 million for expansion dormitories during the most recent legislative session. TDCJ spokesperson Hannah Haney told the Houston Chronicle that the funding is intended to meet anticipated population levels and that expansion dorms are a cost-effective method the agency has used before.

TDCJ housed nearly 139,000 people in agency-operated facilities as of August 31, 2025. More than 56,300 people entered those facilities during fiscal year 2025, according to agency figures cited by the Chronicle.

Plans include a new 50,000-square-foot, 400-bed unit at the Memorial Unit in Brazoria County. Construction is expected to begin in October 2026 and finish in spring 2028. Applications were also filed for work at the Montford Unit in Lubbock and the Hamilton Unit in Bryan.

TDCJ said additional expansion dorms are planned at facilities in Edinburg, Venus, Bonham, Richmond, Austin, Cleveland, El Paso, Dayton and Navasota. The agency said the selected locations have comparatively strong staffing and access to a reliable labor force.

The construction plan comes as Texas prisons continue to face staffing shortages, aging infrastructure and concerns about heat, health care and safety. Adding beds may increase capacity, but it does not by itself resolve the operational problems that affect conditions inside the units.

Source: Houston Chronicle, July 10, 2026.