How significant of a presence does the prison system have in Huntsville?
David: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is headquartered in Huntsville — the only state agency not headquartered in Austin, the state capital. The Huntsville unit — the “Walls,” where the execution chamber is located — is only two blocks off the downtown square and next door to the First Baptist Church. Several other large units, each holding thousands of offenders, surround the town. The men in white, as prisoners are sometimes called, can often be seen working along the local highways or around state offices or in the fields. Everywhere you go on any given day, you come upon gray-uniformed Correctional Officers (guards) shopping or eating at restaurants or going to and from work. Virginia: Any unoccupied strip mall or building is soon taken over by TDCJ’s ever-expanding presence. 4. Is capital punishment as a moral issue debated much in Huntsville? Virginia: No. As the book says, the vast majority of Huntsville citizens undoubtedly support the death penalty, just as do
