O. B. Ellis Unit (E1, previously Ellis I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Walker County, Texas, 12 miles (19 km) north of Huntsville.The unit, with about 11,427 acres (4,624 ha) 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 3 miles …ACA Accredited Unit Since August 2007. Address: Thomas Goree Unit 7405 Hwy 75 South Huntsville, TX 77344. Phone: (936) 295-6331. Location: Four miles south of downtown Huntsville on Highway 75 South in Walker County. Unit Full Name: Thomas Goree Unit. ... Huntsville, Texas 77342-0099 | (936) 295-6371 ...Learn about the history and features of the Walls Unit, the first state prison in Texas and the site of executions. See images of the main entrance, the yard, the education building, and the siege of 1974. Find out how the …Huntsville “Walls” Unit (Huntsville, TX) may house up to 1,705 men. HPM currently facilitates services as requested, which is generally about 3 x each year. Centers for Christian Living. Hope Prison Ministries currently provides transitional housing for up to two men in a small apartment it arranged for this purpose. Space is obviously ...O. B. Ellis Unit (E1, previously Ellis I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Walker County, Texas, 12 miles (19 km) north of Huntsville.The unit, with about 11,427 acres (4,624 ha) 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 3 miles … H UNTSVILLE, Texas (KBTX) - A large fire started at Texas Department of Criminal Justice Facility in Huntsville around 2:30 a.m. Friday. It happened at the Walls Unit in the 800 block of 12th Street. Prisoners from all over the vast Texas prison system come to the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas to be processed for release at the completion of... Prison in America Major Kenneth Dean, is the head of the tie-down team at the Huntsville prison in Texas.JCR: The Walls - Historic Prison in Huntsville, Texas Open to download resource. When looking back at the evolution of the Texas penal system, all the historic paths lead to Huntsville as the starting point, and the starting point was the Walls.Burials usually occur at 8:30 A.M. Monday through Thursday. The Huntsville Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Sometimes family and friends of the deceased attend the funeral and sometimes no one comes. Either way, the chaplain of the Walls Unit leads the graveside services.Jun 26, 2021 · The Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, the hometown of Sam Houston, was established in 1849. It is also referred to as the “Walls Unit” for the 15-foot masonry wall that surrounds the prison yard. Currently, it has the capacity to house 1,705 male inmates. During the Civil War, the Wall Unit housed Union prisoners of war. Perpetrator of the 1974 Huntsville Prison Siege. Duane 'DOG' Chapman. TDCJ #271097. Served 18 months for a murder in 1977. Star of the television show Dog the Bounty Hunter. Jack Purvis. Committed a robbery in El Paso, Texas. Musician. John Wesley Hardin.The Domino Players, Walls Unit, Huntsville, Texas. gelatin silver print, signed in pencil and with the photographer's 'Bleak Beauty' stamp, initialed and dated in pencil, on the reverse. image: 8¾ by 13 in. (22.2 by 33 cm.) Executed in 1968, printed in 2004. Please note that this lot will not be on view during the sale exhibition.616. 4 AM-Fire continues to emit from the roof of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Walls Prison unit. The first call came in shortly after 2 a.m. The first units on the scene reported heavy smoke on Avenue I and 12th Street. Huntsville Police reported crackling on the west side. Shortly after calls started going out for manpower and ...Apr 16, 2024 · The maximum-security Huntsville unit, built in 1848, takes up two blocks in the middle of this East Texas town of 35,000 people. Its red-brick walls are 30 feet high; hence its nickname, The Walls. A Christmas sign, a herd of reindeer and a string of Christmas lights decorate the front wall. Mar 8, 2017 · It tells the story of the men and women who participated in, carried out, and witnessed multiple executions as part of their jobs at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Huntsville has been called the execution capital of the United States. In the year 2000, when this documentary was made, Texas executed 40 people there. 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-acre (22.00 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, …HUNTSVILLE—Texas executed Adam Kelly Ward, 33, on Tuesday of Holy Week, and officers arrested Jeff Hood, a North Texas minister with Baptist roots, when he crossed the legal perimeter outside Huntsville’s Walls Unit and bowed his head to pray. ... Protesters demonstrate outside the Walls Unit in Huntsville prior to the execution of …Jan 3, 2013 · The Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is more commonly known as the "Walls Unit" for its unique high red-brick walls. The Walls Unit is the oldest prison in Texas, accepting its first inmates in 1849. It housed Union Army POWs during the Civil War. Walls Unit inmates made uniforms and tents for the Confederate Army in ... Texas Department of Criminal Justice "The Walls Unit", Huntsville, Texas. 4 likes. Local businessABC13's Nick Natario surveys the damage at the Huntsville prison's Walls Unit after a fire erupted early Friday. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire at the Texas …March 4, 2024. Richard Linklater’s “Hometown Prison,” with its free and hybrid form, empathetically and indignantly brings suppressed agonies to light. Photographs courtesy Max. With little ...Texas History 101 Texas History 101 The state's first enclosed penitentiary, a 225-cell facility in Huntsville, has weathered some hard times and expanded to include seven prison units.The Huntsville Unit, also known as the Walls Unit, is a maximum-security prison located in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, it has a capacity of 1,705 inmates and houses male death row inmates.Mar 8, 2017 · It tells the story of the men and women who participated in, carried out, and witnessed multiple executions as part of their jobs at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Huntsville has been called the execution capital of the United States. In the year 2000, when this documentary was made, Texas executed 40 people there. Gilbert Herrera, who served two prison terms in the Huntsville Unit in the 1970s, returned there recently. But this time, he brought a Christian message of hope to about 250 men who packed a brick chapel in the middle of the prison compound. He preached at the chapel service as part of City Reach, a series of evangelistic efforts to …SPU has served as an important check and balance in the criminal justice system in Texas. ... Not only does such criminal activity threaten the peace and security within a prison unit, but these gangs perpetuate crime beyond prison walls. ... Huntsville, Texas 7734 2. Telephone: (936) 291-2369. Page updated. Report abuse ...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. Huntsville is located in the East Texas Piney Woods on the Interstate 45 corridor between Houston and Dallas. Huntsville is home to Sam Houston State University ... Huntsville schools - Huntsville (Walls) Unit is located at 815 12th Street, Huntsville TX 77340. Huntsville (Walls) Unit is in the Windham School District. Huntsville (Walls) Unit is a Public school . Aug 25, 2023 · 3:35 a.m. HUNTSVILLE, TX- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Walls Unit is burning, with heavy fire visible. Multiple fire departments, including some from Montgomery County have responded to Walker County to provide mutual aid, assisting the Huntsville Fire Department as they attempt to get the massive fire at the prison under control. The first Texas prison, the Huntsville “Walls” Unit, was constructed and opened in 1849 with three inmates. Today, facilities operated by the CID vary in the number and types of inmates housed, physical design, and services provided. Danny Lyon began his career as part of the civil-rights movement, shot this series in six Texas penitentiaries over the course of 14 months during 1967 and ’68. Specification ContactHUNTSVILLE, Texas — From outside the front door of the Texas Prison Museum, you can clearly see the Holliday Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice surrounded by towering walls. Inside ...Aug 25, 2023 · The Walls Unit, which got its nickname because of its surrounding 15-foot brick wall, was established in 1849 as Texas’ first state prison, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice ... Texas Department of Criminal Justice "The Walls Unit", Huntsville, Texas. 4 likes. Local businessShortly thereafter, construction began on the 225-cell Huntsville Unit, commonly called the Walls. On October 1, 1849, the first inmate entered the partially completed facility. By the end of the ...SEPT 25 - HUNTSVILLE WALLS UNIT - HUNTSVILLE, TX SEPT 27 - EASTHAM UNIT - LOVELADY, TX OCT 6 - POLUNSKY UNIT - LIVINGSTON, TX. Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.Clyde Thompson (1910–July 1, 1979 [1]) was an American prisoner turned chaplain. He is most noted for being cited and labeled as The Meanest Man in Texas. The film titled The Meanest Man in Texas has been filmed and is currently in the post production process and is based on the true story and book of the same title ( ISBN 978-0-9714958-6-9 ...Huntsville bat colony saved, for now. J.W. Lewright The Item. Jul 26, 2022. Bats streaming from their colony within the cotton warehouse next to the Huntsville “Walls” Unit. J.W. Lewright.For Rent. $1,150. 2 bd | 2 ba | 1k sqft. 2402 Sycamore Ave APT B3, Huntsville, TX 77340. For Rent. Skip to the beginning of the carousel. 914 Birmingham St, Huntsville, TX 77320 is a single-family home listed for rent at $1,325 /mo. The 735 Square Feet home is a 2 beds, 1 bath single-family home. View more property details, sales history, and ...The Huntsville Unit, better known as the historic “Walls” Unit, has been standing for 174 years. Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, a fire alarm sounded for smoke showing at the Unit ... Huntsville, TX ...Danny Lyon began his career as part of the civil-rights movement, shot this series in six Texas penitentiaries over the course of 14 months during 1967 and ’68. Specification ContactAs headquarters of the Texas prison system until 1989, the Walls Unit is the facility from which capital punishment was carried out from 1924 until 1964, and then again after …For Rent. $900. -- bd | 1 ba | 420 sqft. Elizabeth Manor, Huntsville, TX 77320. For Rent. Skip to the beginning of the carousel. 85L Young Rd, Huntsville, TX 77320 is an apartment unit listed for rent at $800 /mo. The -- sqft unit is a 2 beds, 2 baths apartment unit. View more property details, sales history, and Zestimate data on Zillow.The Domino Players, Walls Unit, Huntsville, Texas. gelatin silver print, signed in pencil and with the photographer's 'Bleak Beauty' stamp, initialed and dated in pencil, on the reverse. image: 8¾ by 13 in. (22.2 by 33 cm.) Executed in 1968, printed in 2004. Please note that this lot will not be on view during the sale exhibition.Learn about the history and features of the Walls Unit, the first state prison in Texas and the site of executions. See images of the main entrance, the yard, the education building, and the siege of 1974. Find out how the …Aug 25, 2023 · 3:35 a.m. HUNTSVILLE, TX- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Walls Unit is burning, with heavy fire visible. Multiple fire departments, including some from Montgomery County have responded to Walker County to provide mutual aid, assisting the Huntsville Fire Department as they attempt to get the massive fire at the prison under control. Aug 25, 2023 · Huntsville Fire Chief Greg Mathis said fire crews responded quickly and found heavy smoke coming from a cell block in the Walls Unit. Hernandez later said that the fire was in the attic of the ... Huntsville Walls Unit (Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville) The Republic of Texas Congress passed a law to establish a prison system in 1842, but it wasn't until 1848, after a new law passed the state legislature, that steps were taken to achieve the goal. Huntsville was selected as the site for the state prison facility, and Governor George ...Court upholds ruling requiring Texas to reveal execution drug source. of 32. Browse Getty Images' premium collection of high-quality, authentic Huntsville Texas stock photos, royalty-free images, and pictures. Huntsville Texas stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit your needs.You could be the first review for Walls Unit Bat Colony. Filter by rating. Search reviews. Search reviews. Get Directions. 1133 Ave I Huntsville, TX 77340. Suggest an edit. Best of Huntsville. Things to do in Huntsville. Near Me. Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me. Places to Visit Near Me. The first Texas prison, the Huntsville “Walls” Unit, was constructed and opened in 1849 with three inmates. Today, facilities operated by the CID vary in the number and types of inmates housed, physical design, and services provided. Updated: Aug 25, 2023 / 05:39 PM CDT. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Nexstar) — The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will transfer about 400 inmates to facilities across Texas after a major fire damaged ...Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution Inmate Search and Jail Roster Information. Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution is a high security State Prison located in city of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. It houses adult inmates (18+ age) who have been convicted for their crimes which come under Texas state law.Jul 11, 2020 · Location. 30° 43.372′ N, 95° 32.827′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Texas, in Walker County. Marker is at the intersection of 12th Street and Avenue I, on the left when traveling west on 12th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Huntsville TX 77340, United States of America. Touch for directions. Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution Inmate Search and Jail Roster Information. Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution is a high security State Prison located in city of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. It houses adult inmates (18+ age) who have been convicted for their crimes which come under Texas state law.As headquarters of the Texas prison system until 1989, the Walls Unit is the facility from which capital punishment was carried out from 1924 until 1964, and then again after …Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution Inmate Search and Jail Roster Information. Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution is a high security State Prison located in city of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. It houses adult inmates (18+ age) who have been convicted for their crimes which come under Texas state law.Huntsville Fire Chief Greg Mathis said fire crews responded quickly and found heavy smoke coming from a cell block in the Walls Unit. Hernandez later said that the fire was in the attic of the ...Matthew Garza, 28, escaped from The Huntsville Unit, also known as The “Walls Unit,” according to TDCJ. Officials say he was coming back from a court appearance in Frio County.ABC13's Nick Natario surveys the damage at the Huntsville prison's Walls Unit after a fire erupted early Friday. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire at the Texas … Huntsville Penitentiary. Theresa Jach, Theresa R. Jach. Arcadia Publishing, 2013 - History - 127 pages. The state of Texas, home to one of the largest prison systems in the country, opened its first penitentiary in 1849. The Walls Unit in Huntsville was the genesis of a prison system that became the home of notorious convicts and the focus of ... M. The Texas State Penitentiary aka the “Walls Unit” is the oldest prison unit in Texas dating back to 1849. It got its name from the tall brick walls that surround the 54-acre facility. While it isn’t open for tours, it’s something to behold and reminds me of Shawshank Redemption. I’m happy to be outside the “walls.”.Aug 25, 2023 · 616. 4 AM-Fire continues to emit from the roof of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Walls Prison unit. The first call came in shortly after 2 a.m. The first units on the scene reported heavy smoke on Avenue I and 12th Street. Huntsville Police reported crackling on the west side. Shortly after calls started going out for manpower and ... A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from an abandoned former cotton warehouse owned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice across from the Huntsville Unit on August 11, 2022. The Walls Unit houses Texas’ execution chamber. The chamber is on the east side of the prison grounds, away from where the fire happened. Death row inmates aren’t held in Huntsville.Aug 25, 2023 · The Walls Unit, which got its nickname because of its surrounding 15-foot brick wall, was established in 1849 as Texas’ first state prison, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice ... James “Jay” H. Byrd Unit is located at 21 FM 247, Huntsville, TX, 77320. You will notice that prisoners who are imprisoned here, usually have a longer sentence. Those who have sentences less than one year or so are housed in a city or county jail. If you’d like to contact the head of the James “Jay” H. Byrd Unit’s, you can call 804 ...Rachel Estrada. August 25, 2023 · 1 min read. 4. HUNTSVILLE, Texas ( KIAH) – A historic prison in Huntsville, Texas, caught fire early Friday morning, prompting the evacuation …This section examines the Texas prison structure. Figure 12.2 Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. Nicknamed "Walls Unit", the Huntsville Unit (HV) is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The facility is the oldest Texas state prison, opened in 1849.ACA Accredited Unit Since August 2007. Address: Thomas Goree Unit 7405 Hwy 75 South Huntsville, TX 77344. Phone: (936) 295-6331. Location: Four miles south of downtown Huntsville on Highway 75 South in Walker County. Unit Full Name: Thomas Goree Unit. ... Huntsville, Texas 77342-0099 | (936) 295-6371 ...TDCJ Death Chamber at the Huntsville "Walls" Unit. TDCJ. May 19, 2021. May 19, 2021. As featured on. 8:02+5. LIVE UPDATES: TDCJ prepares to execute Quintin Jones. A Texas inmate convicted of ...We're recognizing TDCJ's 175th anniversary through November and we couldn't talk about the history of the agency without mentioning where it all began: The Huntsville "Walls" Unit. #TDCJ #FromTheFiles #texas #historyRachel Estrada. August 25, 2023 · 1 min read. 4. HUNTSVILLE, Texas ( KIAH) – A historic prison in Huntsville, Texas, caught fire early Friday morning, prompting the evacuation …Clyde Thompson (1910–July 1, 1979 [1]) was an American prisoner turned chaplain. He is most noted for being cited and labeled as The Meanest Man in Texas. The film titled The Meanest Man in Texas has been filmed and is currently in the post production process and is based on the true story and book of the same title ( ISBN 978-0-9714958-6-9 ...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-acre (22.00 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, …HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KIAH) — The prison unit in Huntsville caught fire overnight and still burns this morning as fire crews work diligently to put the fire out. CW39’s Kara Willis and Set…Huntsville— Huntsville has the distinction of having a strong connection to Sam Houston but is also home to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and one of the most famous prisons in the entire state known as the Walls Unit. Built in 1849, this is where death sentences are carried out and the last stop...In the center of Huntsville is the Walls Unit. The oldest prison in Texas, it has gained notoriety in recent years as the location of Texas’ famously-frequent executions. But another, less-known function of the Walls Unit is mustering out the Texas system’s prisoners: every day, more than 150 men are processed, paroled and released.The Walls Unit, which got its nickname because of its surrounding 15-foot brick wall, was established in 1849 as Texas’ first state prison, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.The Texas Prison Museum is really an interesting place.”. Visit Huntsville. huntsvilletexas.com. Texas Prison Museum. The Texas Prison Museum, in existence since 1989, is a non-profit business, overseen by a board of trustees. 491 TX-75 N. Huntsville, TX 77320. (936) 295-2155. txprisonmuseum.org.Learn about the history and features of the Walls Unit, the first state prison in Texas and the site of executions. See images of the main entrance, the yard, the education building, and the siege of 1974. Find out how the …Daniel Webster Wallace Unit 1675 South FM 3525 Colorado City, TX 79512. Phone: (325) 728-2162 (**074) Location: Exit 215 from IH-20 and south on FM 3525 in Mitchell County. Unit Full Name: Daniel Webster …
The Walls is haunted as hell, but operational. It’s the oldest prison in Texas and isn’t closing anytime soon. COs and convicts alike have stories to tell when they come out. The unit is not Death Row, but it IS where the executions take place. Consequently it’s also where inmates are released from when they parole/discharge. . Hes goal
Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution Inmate Search and Jail Roster Information. Huntsville Unit- Correctional Institution is a high security State Prison located in city of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. It houses adult inmates (18+ age) who have been convicted for their crimes which come under Texas state law.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-acre (22.00 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, …Texas State Penitentiary, Huntsville Unit (“Walls Unit”) - A A + A. 1849, Abner Cook; c. 1890, Eugene T. Heiner. 815 12th St. ☰ SEE METADATA. The state legislature …On February 23, 2008, the Walls Unit prison in Huntsville, Texas was the site of a tragic event that left many lives forever changed. The day began like any other, with prisoners going about their daily routines, but it ended in devastation and heartbreak as a fire broke out in one of the cellblocks, claiming the lives of several inmates and injuring many more.The Huntsville Unit, better known as the historic “Walls” Unit, has been standing for 174 years. Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, a fire alarm sounded for smoke showing at the Unit ... Huntsville, TX ...Driving around Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas A.K.A "Walls Unit".Trinity, TX (77320) Today. Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F.The Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, TX offers a unique and educational experience, showcasing the history and culture of the Texas prison system through various exhibits and displays. Visitors can explore the operations behind the fences and walls, gaining insight into the lives of incarcerated individuals and the workings of the state's ...A fire erupted early Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at the 174-year-old state prison in Huntsville, Texas. "We do currently have the main body of fire knocked down," he said.The Huntsville Unit, also known as the Walls Unit, is a maximum-security prison located in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, it has a capacity of 1,705 inmates and houses male death row inmates.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-acre (22.00 ha) facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, …By 1974 Anthony was employed as a teacher by the Windham School District of the, then Texas Department of Corrections. He was a hostage in a prison siege that year which lasted 11 days at the Huntsville Walls Unit. This incident was one of the longest hostage-taking situations in U.S. history.O. B. Ellis Unit (E1, previously Ellis I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Walker County, Texas, 12 miles (19 km) north of Huntsville.The unit, with about 11,427 acres (4,624 ha) 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 3 miles …Wynne Unit — Huntsville Texas. Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (KPMI) is a Christian faith based ministry which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth and, their families through Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside and Kairos Torch. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to change ...Huntsville Unit, also known as Walls Unit, is a medium security prison in Walker County Texas that houses the execution chamber. Learn about the history, programs, visiting …SEPT 25 - HUNTSVILLE WALLS UNIT - HUNTSVILLE, TX SEPT 27 - EASTHAM UNIT - LOVELADY, TX OCT 6 - POLUNSKY UNIT - LIVINGSTON, TX. Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.The Walls is haunted as hell, but operational. It’s the oldest prison in Texas and isn’t closing anytime soon. COs and convicts alike have stories to tell when they come out. The unit is not Death Row, but it IS where the executions take place. Consequently it’s also where inmates are released from when they parole/discharge.1950 -- Permanent Arena Erected for Texas Prison Rodeo Creator: Huntsville Item. A casual observer today might never know that a now-empty field near the Huntsville ("Walls") Unit once hosted "The Wildest Show Behind Bars"--the Texas Prison Rodeo. The rodeo was launched in 1931 during the Great Depression, and was originally held in a … The first Texas prison, the Huntsville “Walls” Unit, was constructed and opened in 1849 with three inmates. Today, facilities operated by the CID vary in the number and types of inmates housed, physical design, and services provided. Driving around Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas A.K.A "Walls Unit". The maximum-security Huntsville unit, built in 1848, takes up two blocks in the middle of this East Texas town of 35,000 people. Its red-brick walls are 30 feet high; hence its nickname, The Walls. A Christmas sign, a herd of reindeer and a string of Christmas lights decorate the front wall..