Accountability.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The Texas Department of Criminal Justice opened its new Bryan Collier Leadership & Training Center in Huntsville on Sept. 25, a facility built to train parole officers, correctional staff and crisis response teams, the agency announced.
The center is named for Bryan Collier, who retired as TDCJ’s executive director on Aug. 31, 2025, after 40 years with the agency. Collier started as a clerk and also worked as a correctional officer and parole officer before leading the department.
What the center includes
Plans TDCJ announced at the January 2025 groundbreaking called for about 64,000 square feet across three buildings: a 43,000-square-foot training center, an 11,500-square-foot barracks and a 9,500-square-foot firing range. Features include:
- Modern classrooms and scenario-based training environments
- A virtual reality training room
- A mock cell demonstration area
- A physical training room with an observation catwalk
- A six-lane indoor firing range
- Barracks for trainees (planned at 80 beds in four dormitories)
The center can serve up to 400 participants across multiple divisions, TDCJ said. Programs planned there include leadership development, the Parole Officers Training Academy, the Advanced Correctional Officer Training Academy and crisis response team training. The agency did not release the cost of the project.
What was said at the opening
“Quality training is critical to developing staff and helping this agency achieve its mission,” Collier said at the ceremony. “The training here will ultimately save lives and help change lives.”
Reflecting on his career, Collier said, “From day one as a clerk to my final day as Executive Director, it was a privilege.”
TDCJ Executive Director Bobby Lumpkin said, “As we officially open the doors of the Bryan Collier Leadership & Training Center, we honor legacy, celebrate a vision, and commit ourselves to developing strong, capable, and compassionate leaders for many years to come.”
Texas Board of Criminal Justice Chairman Eric J.R. Nichols said the facility “will equip the next generation of public servants with the best tools and training to serve the mission of public safety in Texas.”
State Rep. Trey Wharton said, “I cannot think of a better name to put on this building than someone who dedicated 40 years of his life — and his family — to this agency.”