Huntsville Prison
Encyclopedia
Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville or Huntsville Unit (HV), nicknamed "Walls Unit," is a Texas state prison
located in Huntsville, Texas
, United States
. The approximately 54.36 acres (22 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
, administered as within Region I. The facility, the oldest Texas state prison, opened in 1849. The unit houses the State of Texas execution chamber
. It is the most active execution chamber in the United States, with 423 executions between 1982 and 2008.
, prisoners at Huntsville produced tents and uniforms for Confederate forces at the prison textile factory. After the American Civil War
ended, Huntsville Unit was the only prison in the former Confederate States of America
to remain.
Originally women in the Texas Prison System were housed in the Huntsville Unit. Beginning in 1883 women were housed in the Johnson Farm, a privately-owned cotton plantation near Huntsville.
Historically the prison served as the administrative headquarters of the Texas Prison System and the Texas Department of Corrections; the superintendent and the other executive officers worked in the prison, and all of the central offices of the system's departments and all of the permanent records were located in the prison.
In 1974, the prison was the site of an eleven-day siege
, one of the longest hostage-taking sieges in United States
history. Three armed inmates, (Fred Carrasco, Ignacio Cuevas, and Rudy Dominquez) held several hostages in the education department. The ring leader, Carrasco, had been a porter in the chapel. Cuevas usually worked in the inmate dining hall. Ten hostages were employees of the prison system: two were educators, and one was a guard. Later on, the prison chaplain would also become a hostage. Four prisoners were also held as hostages. On the final day, the inmates tried to escape using chalkboards and hostages as shields. Dominquez was killed in the attempt. Carrasco killed Elizabeth Beseda, then shot himself. Julia Standley was also killed that day. Ignacio Cuevas was executed on May 23, 1991 for her murder.
, will remain the TDCJ's largest release center. Throughout the history of the Texas Prison System 90% of male prisoners were sent to the unit for the final portions of their sentences before being released. Starting in September 2010 the TDCJ instead began to use regional release centers for male prisoners.
. The TDCJ houses male death row inmates in the Polunsky Unit
and female death row inmates in the Mountain View Unit
.
Between 1819 and 1923 the method of execution was hanging until Texas authorized the use of the electric chair; the use of the electric chair ended the execution of death sentences by counties in Texas. The chair– often euphemistically
called "Old Sparky" was constructed by inmates. Between 1924 and 1964, 362 inmates were executed by electrocution. The chair now resides at the Texas Prison Museum, located on Interstate 45
on the north side of Huntsville which features displays of historical items from the prison system, including shanks and other items confiscated from inmates.
Inmates scheduled for execution are brought from death row to the Walls Unit early in the afternoon of their scheduled execution. Inmates are not allowed a special meal, like other states allow condemned criminals, due to abuse of the privilege by past criminals and the rationale that they did not offer a meal to their victims, and therefore should not be allowed a special recognition. They can, however, make a last statement prior to their execution, but the inmate is not required to. By law executions are scheduled to begin after 6:00 p.m. Huntsville (Central) time. The inmates are housed until that time about 30 feet from the door of the execution chamber; the Texas Death House is located at the northeast corner of the Walls Unit, just below the #1 picket. There is no law prohibiting multiple executions in a single day, but this has not happened since September 1951.
The execution chamber is a 9 feet (2.7 m) by 12 feet (3.7 m) room with turquoise walls and a gurney. When Jim Willett was the warden of Huntsville Unit, he added a pillow to the gurney. Two adjacent rooms, which view into the execution room through glass windows, house two groups. One room is reserved for the family or families of the crime victim(s). The other is for the family of the condemned.
For a listing of people executed in Huntsville Unit, see :Category:People executed by Texas for all entries 1923 and later.
1971 album, Someday We'll Look Back
references being sent to Huntsville Prison.
Cross Canadian Ragweed
has a song that is about the prison called "Walls of Huntsville" on their 2002 album Cross Canadian Ragweed
.
Steve Earle
recorded "Ellis Unit One" (after the Ellis Unit
) for the 1995 film Dead Man Walking
. The songs lyrics focus on the effect of the death penalty on the guards that carry it out. Earle has been a vocal critic against the death penalty.
In the 1993 film "A Perfect World
" Kevin Costner
portrays convict Butch Haynes, who escapes from Huntsville Prison.
In the 2007 film No Country for Old Men
, it was mentioned that the Sheriff in Terrell County, Texas
had sentenced a man to death here for killing a 14 year old girl.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
located in Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The approximately 54.36 acres (22 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
, administered as within Region I. The facility, the oldest Texas state prison, opened in 1849. The unit houses the State of Texas execution chamber
Execution chamber
An execution chamber, or death chamber, is a room or chamber in which a legal execution is carried out. Execution chambers are almost always inside the walls of a maximum-security prison, although not always at the same prison where the death row population is housed...
. It is the most active execution chamber in the United States, with 423 executions between 1982 and 2008.
History
The prison's first inmates arrived on October 1, 1849. The unit was named after the City of Huntsville. Originally Huntsville Unit was only for White Texans; the only penalties available to Black Texans were whipping and hanging. During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, prisoners at Huntsville produced tents and uniforms for Confederate forces at the prison textile factory. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ended, Huntsville Unit was the only prison in the former Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
to remain.
Originally women in the Texas Prison System were housed in the Huntsville Unit. Beginning in 1883 women were housed in the Johnson Farm, a privately-owned cotton plantation near Huntsville.
Historically the prison served as the administrative headquarters of the Texas Prison System and the Texas Department of Corrections; the superintendent and the other executive officers worked in the prison, and all of the central offices of the system's departments and all of the permanent records were located in the prison.
In 1974, the prison was the site of an eleven-day siege
1974 Huntsville Prison Siege
The 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege was an eleven-day prison uprising that took place from July 24 to August 3, 1974 at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas...
, one of the longest hostage-taking sieges in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history. Three armed inmates, (Fred Carrasco, Ignacio Cuevas, and Rudy Dominquez) held several hostages in the education department. The ring leader, Carrasco, had been a porter in the chapel. Cuevas usually worked in the inmate dining hall. Ten hostages were employees of the prison system: two were educators, and one was a guard. Later on, the prison chaplain would also become a hostage. Four prisoners were also held as hostages. On the final day, the inmates tried to escape using chalkboards and hostages as shields. Dominquez was killed in the attempt. Carrasco killed Elizabeth Beseda, then shot himself. Julia Standley was also killed that day. Ignacio Cuevas was executed on May 23, 1991 for her murder.
Facility
While the prison is officially the Huntsville Unit, the prison's red brick walls lead to the nickname "Walls Unit." The prison is 160 miles (257.5 km) southeast of Dallas. The original cellblock had been closed for several years prior to 2011.Release center
The Huntsville Unit serves as one of the TDCJ's regional release centers for male prisoners. Most male prisoners are released to be closer to their counties of conviction, approved release counties, and/or residences. Male prisoners who have detainers, are classified as sex offenders, have electronic monitoring imposed by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and/or have certain special conditions of the Super Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) are released from the Huntsville Unit, regardless of their counties of conviction, residences, and/or approved release counties. Rick Thaler, the director of the Correctional Institutions Division, predicted in 2010 that the Huntsville Unit, which serves as the regional release center for Greater HoustonGreater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
, will remain the TDCJ's largest release center. Throughout the history of the Texas Prison System 90% of male prisoners were sent to the unit for the final portions of their sentences before being released. Starting in September 2010 the TDCJ instead began to use regional release centers for male prisoners.
Death penalty
The Huntsville Unit is the location of the State of Texas execution chamberExecution chamber
An execution chamber, or death chamber, is a room or chamber in which a legal execution is carried out. Execution chambers are almost always inside the walls of a maximum-security prison, although not always at the same prison where the death row population is housed...
. The TDCJ houses male death row inmates in the Polunsky Unit
Polunsky Unit
Allan B. Polunsky Unit is a prison in West Livingston, unincorporated Polk County, Texas, located approximately southwest of Livingston along Farm to Market Road 350. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the facility. The unit houses the State of Texas death row, and it has a maximum...
and female death row inmates in the Mountain View Unit
Mountain View Unit
Mountain View Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison housing female offenders in Gatesville, Texas. The unit, with about of land, is located north of central Gatesville on Farm to Market Road 215. The prison is located in a 45 minute driving distance from Waco...
.
Between 1819 and 1923 the method of execution was hanging until Texas authorized the use of the electric chair; the use of the electric chair ended the execution of death sentences by counties in Texas. The chair– often euphemistically
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
called "Old Sparky" was constructed by inmates. Between 1924 and 1964, 362 inmates were executed by electrocution. The chair now resides at the Texas Prison Museum, located on Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
on the north side of Huntsville which features displays of historical items from the prison system, including shanks and other items confiscated from inmates.
Inmates scheduled for execution are brought from death row to the Walls Unit early in the afternoon of their scheduled execution. Inmates are not allowed a special meal, like other states allow condemned criminals, due to abuse of the privilege by past criminals and the rationale that they did not offer a meal to their victims, and therefore should not be allowed a special recognition. They can, however, make a last statement prior to their execution, but the inmate is not required to. By law executions are scheduled to begin after 6:00 p.m. Huntsville (Central) time. The inmates are housed until that time about 30 feet from the door of the execution chamber; the Texas Death House is located at the northeast corner of the Walls Unit, just below the #1 picket. There is no law prohibiting multiple executions in a single day, but this has not happened since September 1951.
The execution chamber is a 9 feet (2.7 m) by 12 feet (3.7 m) room with turquoise walls and a gurney. When Jim Willett was the warden of Huntsville Unit, he added a pillow to the gurney. Two adjacent rooms, which view into the execution room through glass windows, house two groups. One room is reserved for the family or families of the crime victim(s). The other is for the family of the condemned.
For a listing of people executed in Huntsville Unit, see :Category:People executed by Texas for all entries 1923 and later.
Notable inmates
This list does not include death row inmates who were housed in other units and executed in Huntsville on the days of their executions.| Name | Number | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Butler Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer... |
Transferred to Huntsville from the Terrell Unit Terrell Unit The Charles T. Terrell Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas. The facility is located on Farm to Market Road 655, west of Farm to Market Road 521. The prison, has about of land, is co-located with Ramsey Unit and Stringfellow Unit... in Brazoria County, Texas Brazoria County, Texas Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a... on the week of his release from the TDCJ system |
Known as Pimp C Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer... , a rapper |
|
| Fred Carrasco | Perpetrator of the 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege The 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege was an eleven-day prison uprising that took place from July 24 to August 3, 1974 at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas... |
||
| Ignacio Cuevas | Perpetrator of the 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege | ||
| Duane 'DOG' Chapman Duane Chapman Duane Lee "Dog" Chapman, Sr. is an American bounty hunter and a former bail bondsman. He stars in Dog the Bounty Hunter, a weekly reality television program which is broadcast on the A&E Network , FOX8 and GO! , OLN and A&E Network , MAX and RTL II .Chapman claims he has made more than 6,000... |
Served 18 months for a murder in 1977. | Star of the television show Dog the Bounty Hunter Dog the Bounty Hunter Dog the Bounty Hunter is a reality television show on A&E which chronicles Duane "Dog" Chapman's adventures as a fugitive recovery agent, or bounty hunter... |
|
| Jack Purvis Jack Purvis Jack Purvis was an American jazz musician.Purvis was best known as a trumpet player and the composer of Dismal Dan and Down Georgia Way. He was one of the earliest trumpeters to incorporate the innovations pioneered by Louis Armstrong in the late 1920s... |
Committed a robbery in El Paso, Texas El Paso, Texas El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States... |
Musician | |
| John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin was an American outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk hero of the Old West. He was born in Bonham, Texas. Hardin found himself in trouble with the law at an early age, and spent the majority of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops of the... |
Served from September 28, 1878 to March 16, 1894 | outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West | |
| Satanta Satanta (White Bear) This article refers to the Kiowa chief Satanta. For the Irish hero Sétanta, please see Cú Chulainn.Satanta was a Kiowa war chief. He was a member of the Kiowa tribe, he was born around 1820, during the height of the power of the Plains Tribes, probably along the Canadian River in the traditional... |
Committed suicide in the prison | a Kiowa war chief |
Cultural references
"Huntsville", a song on Merle Haggard'sMerle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
1971 album, Someday We'll Look Back
Someday We'll Look Back
Someday We'll Look Back is an album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1971. It reached #4 on the Billboard Country album chart and #108 on the Pop album chart...
references being sent to Huntsville Prison.
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross , Cody Canada , and Randy Ragsdale . Jeremy Plato's name was not involved in the band naming...
has a song that is about the prison called "Walls of Huntsville" on their 2002 album Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed (album)
Cross Canadian Ragweed is the self-titled major-label debut album for the country music band Cross Canadian Ragweed. It includes the singles "17" and "Constantly."...
.
Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
recorded "Ellis Unit One" (after the Ellis Unit
Ellis Unit
O. B. Ellis Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Walker County, Texas, north of Huntsville. The unit, with about of space, now houses up to 2,400 male prisoners. Ellis is situated in a wooded area shared with the Estelle Unit, which is located away...
) for the 1995 film Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking (soundtrack)
Dead Man Walking is a soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released in 1996 on Columbia Records.-Track listing:-Charts:Album-Release history:-References:* -External links:* at Discogs*...
. The songs lyrics focus on the effect of the death penalty on the guards that carry it out. Earle has been a vocal critic against the death penalty.
In the 1993 film "A Perfect World
A Perfect World
A Perfect World is a 1993 drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who befriends a young boy , and ends up embarking on a road trip with the child...
" Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
portrays convict Butch Haynes, who escapes from Huntsville Prison.
In the 2007 film No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men (film)
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. The film was adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name...
, it was mentioned that the Sheriff in Terrell County, Texas
Terrell County, Texas
Terrell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 1,081. Its county seat is Sanderson. The county was named for Alexander W. Terrell, a Texas state senator...
had sentenced a man to death here for killing a 14 year old girl.
See also
- List of Texas state prisons
- Texas Prison RodeoTexas Prison RodeoThe Texas Prison Rodeo was a rodeo and an annual celebration event for inmates in the Texas Prison System, held in a stadium in Huntsville, Texas. The stadium was located at the Huntsville Unit. The events included bareback basketball, bronco riding, bull riding, calf roping, and wild cow...
- Capital punishment in TexasCapital punishment in TexasCapital punishment has been used in the U.S. state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819.As of 16 November 2011, 1,228 individuals have been executed. Only Virginia has executed more individuals overall; however, since the death penalty was re-instituted in the United States in the...
External links
- Huntsville Unit - Texas Department of Criminal JusticeTexas Department of Criminal JusticeThe Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
- Texas Prison Board: An Inventory of Records of the Texas Prison System at the Texas State Archive 1913-1933, 1943, undated
- List of prisoners at the Huntsville Unit - The Texas TribuneThe Texas TribuneThe Texas Tribune is a nonprofit news organization headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas, devoted to state government and public policy. It aims to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events...
- Texas Prison Museum
- Texas Prison Museum - Huntsville - Home of Old Sparky
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice Website
- "Inside Death Row." - National Geographic ExplorerNational Geographic ExplorerNational Geographic Explorer is an American documentary television series that originally premiered on Nickelodeon on April 7, 1985, after having been produced as a less costly and intensive alternative to PBS's National Geographic Specials by Pittsburgh station WQED...
- Life in a Texas Prison Pen - 1865
- ACLU Texas Prison Program
- http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/7814