AUSTIN, Texas — Construction is now underway on a new Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) training facility.
On Thursday, the TDCJ officially broke ground on the 64,000-square-foot space located in Huntsville. The new facility will be comprised of three buildings, specializing in enhanced training for all levels of TDCJ staff.
“As an agency employing over 31,000 individuals, everything we do is related to public safety. From securing our facilities and overseeing individuals on probation or parole to implementing rehabilitative programs that prepare our population for the workforce, all our efforts contribute to enhancing public safety across Texas,” TDCJ Executive Director Bryan Collier said Thursday. “This facility will play a crucial role in facilitating training initiatives that will further help us fulfill our mission of providing public safety.”
The facility will serve all divisions within TDCJ, including leadership development programs, the Parole Officers Training Academy, the Advanced Correctional Officer Training Academy and crisis response teams.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ), TDCJ leadership, government officials from Walker County and the City of Huntsville, local construction and engineering partners, staff and other members of the community.
“On behalf of the Board, my hope for this facility is that it becomes a center of teamwork, excellence and empowerment,” TBCJ Chairman Eric Nichols said. “We are dedicating this facility to those women and men who carry out this mission of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, those same women and men who get up out of bed each day to protect our great state and commit to changing lives.”
The new facility will feature:
A 43,00 square-foot training center, which will include:
- Modern classrooms, which are dividable
- Assembly space
- Administrative offices and conference rooms
- Recording studio
- Virtual reality training room
- Staff support areas, such as breakrooms, exercise areas and lockers
- Mock cell demonstration area
- Dedicated physical training space with a catwalk
An 11,500 square-foot Barracks, which will include:
- Living spaces with kitchenettes
- Four dormitories with 80 beds total
- Modern restrooms and showers
A 9,500 square-foot firing range:
- A six-lane, 50-yard indoor firing range
- Spaces for weapon issue, control and cleaning
Construction of the facility is expected to be finished by summer 2026.