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40-533: The Giddings State Home and School for Boys opened in September 1972, serving younger boys who were runaways and/or were adjudicated. In 1979 the Gatesville State School closed, and Giddings took some students previously at Gatesville. In 1980 Giddings was designated as the state's maximum security juvenile facility. In 1997 the school's students had mostly committed violent crimes. At one time

80-485: A Childhood?: Race and Juvenile Justice in Twentieth-Century Texas , said that the school newspaper's main purpose was to serve as a pro-prison administration propaganda organ. The Hilltop Unit still uses many buildings that were a part of the original House of Correction and Reformatory. A graveyard with sixteen graves containing the remains of children in the state school who died during their stay

120-561: A certain sensitivity like to call Giddings a "home" for juvenile delinquents. In truth, it's as much a pen as the one a couple of hours up the road in Huntsville , where the state keeps adult offenders." Bradley explained that the Giddings State School facility, "even in the dark before dawn, resembles a small, carefully planned college sprung up somewhere on the prairie between Austin and Houston." The facility houses

160-441: A classroom building, a cafeteria, a chapel, vocational shops, dormitories, a gymnasium, an office complex and a security unit with individual cells. The state school has a 14-foot (430 cm) fence with motion detectors. Since 1997, guards patrol the property in unmarked vans 24 hours per day; at nighttime the guards do not use headlights so potential escapees cannot see them. John Ed Bradley of Sports Illustrated said, "People of

200-411: A total area of 8.9 square miles (23.1 km ), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km ), or 0.05%, is covered by water. Gatesville was established in 1854 on land donated by Richard G. Grant (1808–1858), shortly after the organization of Coryell County. The name was taken from Fort Gates , which had been established in 1849, approximately five miles west. Gatesville was the western terminus of

240-475: Is dark outside, because they are not able to practice after classes; the after school hours are dedicated times to meet with case workers, engage in therapy sessions and work. In 1997, 50 of the state school's 340 students were eligible to play on the team. The team is known as the Indians. In 1997, most members of the team were African-Americans, but significant numbers of Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites were on

280-696: Is home to the Loyd and Madge Mitchell Collection of about 10,000 pairs of spurs , thought to be the largest such collection in the world. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature designated Gatesville the "Spur Capital of Texas". As of 2014, the Last Drive-In Picture Show in Gatesville, opened by Gene Palmer in 1955—and, as of 2004, owned by his son, Audie Gene Palmer (1957–2004)—is one of 17 remaining drive-in theaters in Texas; of those 17, it

320-575: Is located on the Riverside Unit. 31°28′07″N 97°44′19″W  /  31.46861°N 97.73861°W  / 31.46861; -97.73861 Gatesville, Texas Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County, Texas , United States. Its population was 16,135 at the 2020 census. The city has five of the nine prisons and state jails for women operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice . One of

360-496: Is midway between Austin and Fort Worth . U.S. Route 84 runs through the city, leading east 37 miles (60 km) to Waco and west 50 miles (80 km) to Goldthwaite . Texas State Highway 36 passes through the eastern side of the city, leading northwest 32 miles (51 km) to Hamilton and southeast 35 miles (56 km) to Temple . According to the United States Census Bureau , Gatesville has

400-663: Is the area school district. Gatesville has a public library. All of the county is in the service area of Central Texas College . Since 2000, the Prison Boss Cookoff, a barbecue competition that serves as a fundraiser for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation, has been held every year. Orwig described it as "a family gathering of prison workers." Donated in 1991, the Coryell County Museum in Gatesville

440-531: Is the home of several prisons operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including the Patrick O'Daniel Unit , which houses the women's death row. Gatesville is located on the northern edge of Fort Cavazos , and as such is also dependent on the military for a part of its economy (besides Fort Cavazos, a large military vehicle repair facility is located on the east side of town). As of 2012,

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480-877: The Alfred D. Hughes Unit , is in Gatesville. As of 2012, the 5,552 female prisoners and 2,958 male prisoners were over half of the population of the city. Patrick O'Daniel Unit (then Mountain View Unit) opened in July 1975, Crain opened in August 1980, Hilltop opened in November 1981, and Hughes opened in January 1990. The Murray Unit opened in November 1995, and the Woodman Unit opened in June 1997. Gatesville previously hosted

520-1051: The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution . Justice ordered TYC to close the Gatesville State School and the Mountain View State School and to redesign the agency's juvenile corrections system. Gatesville State School closed in 1979. The boys moved to smaller state schools, foster and group homes, halfway houses, and residential treatment centers. The state schools taking juvenile offenders included Brownwood State School (now Ron Jackson), Crockett State School in Crockett , Gainesville State School near Gainesville , Giddings State School near Giddings , and West Texas Children's Home of Pyote near Pyote . The Texas Department of Corrections purchased

560-755: The Gatesville State School and the Mountain View State School , juvenile correctional centers of the Texas Youth Commission . The Mountain View State School closed in 1975, and the Gatesville State School closed in 1979. The buildings were transferred to the Texas Department of Corrections and were used as prisons for adults. The United States Postal Service operates the Gatesville Post Office. The Gatesville Independent School District

600-488: The Huntsville Unit , a prison which also housed adults, in Huntsville . Robert Perkinson, author of Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire , said that the institution gained "a reputation for ruthlessness" as decades passed. Gatesville, which served as the main juvenile detention facility for Texas since its opening, had a focus on labor instead of rehabilitation. Throughout the state school's history

640-522: The Texas Prison System , opened in January 1889 with 68 boys who had previously been located in correctional facilities with adult felons. The Victorian reformers who opened the facility intended for the farmwork in the dry climate and the schooling to reform juvenile delinquents. At the beginning the institution also housed boys who did not commit any crimes but had no family and no other place to live in. Children were previously housed in

680-575: The Texas and St. Louis Railway , with the town having been reached in 1882. This line later became the core of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company , commonly known as the Cotton Belt. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 16,135 people, 1,986 households, and 1,151 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, 15,591 people, 2,640 households, and 1,752 families resided in

720-506: The Gatesville State School for Boys. In 1940 the Gatesville State School housed 767 boys who were under 17 at the time the state ordered them to attend the state school. At the time the boys conducted activities on a 900-acre (360 ha) tract of state-owned land and a 2,700-acre (1,100 ha) tract of leased land. In 1949 the State Youth Development Council began to operate the Gatesville State School. In 1950

760-537: The Juvenile Capital Murderers Program. The in-house school is Lone Star High School Southeast. Giddings State School students may play American football . A student may join the team if he has served at least half of his sentence and is not classified as "high risk". Giddings does not have any home games, and any student classified as "high risk" is not permitted to leave campus under normal circumstances. Giddings students play when it

800-516: The city was $ 11,152. About 12.4% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over. Due to the establishment of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons, from 1980 to 2010, the population doubled. As of 2000, about 9,000 of the 15,591 residents were state prisoners. Two manufacturing companies are located in Gatesville: Gatesville

840-417: The city. The population density was 1,794.2 inhabitants per square mile (692.7/km ). There were 2,963 housing units at an average density of 341.0 per square mile (131.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 63.20% White, 27.00% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.49% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 14.73% of

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880-574: The facilities, the Patrick O'Daniel Unit , has the state's death row for women. Gatesville is part of the Killeen – Temple – Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) metropolitan statistical area. The city is located northeast of the center of Coryell County on the east side of the Leon River , part of the Brazos River watershed. The city is 30 miles (48 km) from Waco . It

920-660: The facility. Perkinson said that Gatesville, intended to resemble the Elmira Correctional Facility in Elmira, New York , instead had an attitude similar to that of the Texas prison farms for adults. In 1909 the legislature changed the facility's name to the State Institution for the Training of Juveniles and placed it under the control of a five member board of trustees. In 1913 a law that

960-427: The facility. Some stated that fights among inmates had occurred and that they had negative interactions with employees. As of September 2015 the facility has about 200 inmates. On Friday September 15, 2015, 60 prisoners engaged in a fight that left three people injured. Giddings State School is 55 miles (89 km) from Austin , and between Austin and Houston . The 58 acres (23 ha) Giddings State School has

1000-929: The former state school lands. In 1980 the Live Oak, Riverside, Sycamore, Terrace, and Valley schools became the Gatesville Unit (now the Christina Melton Crain Unit ), and the Hilltop and Hackberry schools became the Hilltop Unit , both of which are women's prisons. In 1915 the Texas State Board of Education certified the state school as an independent school district , allowing it to get funding for school supplies and teacher salaries. The school newspaper, State Boys , started in 1914. William S. Bush, author of Who Gets

1040-592: The highest number of occurrences, with 91 reported cases. These issues are not unique to the Giddings State School, across all of the children under TJJDs care 45% were deemed to be suicide risks. There have also been reports of children being sexually abused by guards. The book Last Chance in Texas by John Hubner presents an in-depth look into the juvenile corrections aspect of the school. 30°10′16″N 96°53′58″W  /  30.17111°N 96.89944°W  / 30.17111; -96.89944 Gatesville State School The Gatesville State School for Boys

1080-422: The population. Of the 2,640 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were not families. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size

1120-625: The prisons in the Gatesville area employ 2,600 people. Most of the employees live in Coryell County. Timothy F. Orwig (born 1949) of the Cove Herald said, "Correctional officers in gray uniforms have been a common sight in the town's businesses for years, and the job of a 'prison boss' was once a highly regarded career choice in Gatesville." Of the eight Texas Department of Criminal Justice general correctional facilities for women, which include five prisons and three state jails, five of

1160-537: The reception center for boys entering TYC. In 1971 a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Texas Youth Council on behalf of the children in TYC facilities. In 1974 the school had 1,500 boys over 250 staff members. During that year, federal judge William Wayne Justice ruled on Morales v. Turman . Justice said that the operations of the state schools consisted of cruel and unusual practices that violated

1200-514: The state government did not appropriate sufficient funds, and the dormitories became overcrowded. Before the state school first opened, the reformatory officials complained about an influx of non-White children who they believed were not capable of being rehabilitated. Michael Jewell, a former Gatesville state school student who attended the school in 1961, said that long periods in solitary confinement, stoop labor, fights between gangs, beatings perpetrated by staff members, and sexual assault occurred at

1240-573: The state school had 406 boys. In 1957 the Texas Youth Council, now the Texas Youth Commission , was established, replacing its predecessor agency. The Mountain View School for Boys opened on September 5, 1962, and chronic and serious juvenile delinquents were moved to Mountain View. By 1970, the state school, with 1,830 boys, consisted of seven sub-schools: Hackberry, Hilltop, Live Oak, Riverside, Sycmore, Terrace, and Valley. Gatesville also housed

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1280-544: The state school had boys and girls. In 2007, the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) announced that Giddings would become male only. As of 2010 Giddings is classified as a high security facility. In January 2012 115 inmates took a survey from Benet Magnuson, a juvenile justice analyst, and his team of researchers from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. Most of the prisoners reported that they felt hopeful about their futures and that they felt safe in

1320-457: The team roster may change from week to week, and the American football team often loses players in the middle of a season. In 1997, Gainesville State School , then a TYC facility for non-violent offenders, was the main rival of Giddings State School. For a 15-year period ending in 1997, Giddings never had a homecoming event. Bradley said "Who gets sentimental about returning to the place where he

1360-462: The team. The Giddings State School has been home to many controversies during its existence. Some children are left in isolation for up to 22 hours per day. Reports also state that suicide and self harm are also serious issues. A significant surge in self-harm incidents was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an average of 11 instances per month between 2018 and January 2020. August 2020 saw

1400-634: The team. The members originated from communities throughout Texas. John Ed Bradley of Sports Illustrated said "what makes Giddings remarkable is that its athletic program competes off campus in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS), and it consistently wins with teams made up of some of the worst kids in the state." Because Texas state courts transfer Giddings inmates to halfway houses and Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) adult prisons, and because some students become ineligible after committing behavior violations,

1440-697: The units, including four prisons and one state jail, are in the City of Gatesville. The Christina Melton Crain Unit prison (formerly Gatesville Unit), the Hilltop Unit prison, the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison, and the Linda Woodman Unit state jail are co-located amongst one another. In addition the Patrick O'Daniel Unit , a prison with the State of Texas female death row, is in Gatesville. One prison for males,

1480-481: Was 3.04. In the city, the age distribution was 11.7% under 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 53.9% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 63.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 59.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 29,534, and for a family was $ 36,543. Males had a median income of $ 30,625 versus $ 17,073 for females. The per capita income for

1520-679: Was a juvenile corrections facility in Gatesville , Texas . The 900-acre (360 ha) facility was converted into two prisons for adults, the Christina Crain Unit (formerly Gatesville Unit), and the Hilltop Unit . The Texas Legislature established the House of Correction and Reformatory, the first rehabilitative juvenile correctional facility in the Southern United States , in 1887. The facility, operated by

1560-399: Was locked up?" Bradley added "Giddings doesn't draw fans in droves. The families of a fair number of boys show up this evening, but they've come less to cheer for Giddings than to see their children engaged in a positive activity and wearing something other than prison-issue dungarees and T-shirts." During sports games involving Giddings, cheerleaders, fans and parents do not appear to cheer for

1600-495: Was passed renamed the facility to the State Juvenile Training School. The 1913 Juvenile Act stated that White boys at Gatesville would be separated from boys of other races. In 1913 the school opened the "Negroes' Institute," facilities for Black boys. In 1919 the newly established State Board of Control began managing the state school. In 1939 the legislature named the juvenile correctional facility

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