Panhandle Times

Despite Texas' prison inmate population currently at 21st century lows, the tiny Dalhart Unit remains understaffed, a chronic issue in most of the state's lockups.

That is nothing new for the small prison 4 miles west of Dalhart that has been operating since February 1995. In 2008 an entire wing on the Dalhart Unit was closed indefinitely because there were not enough guards. Dalhart had been operating at little more than 60% of its normal staffing requirements since the previous year, according to a report at the time by Prison Legal News.

Little had changed by April 2015, when Dalhart Unit was at only 56% of full staffing. As is the case today, the prison was offering a generous sign-up bonus, News Channel 10 KFDA in Amarillo reported at the time.

"We have no problem with the inmates; it's the officer's we have a hard time with," then-warden Norvel Arnold said in the online and video version of the news story. Kevin Belt is the current senior warden at the prison.

Today the medium-security prison houses about 1,400 men, although its official capacity is 1,040. The prison, situated on a little more than 1,520 acres, has only filled 50% of its positions as of October 2020.

An online search of Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) career opportunity section for Dalhart includes a number of open jobs, including a general maintenance and construction supervisor.

Dalhart's declining inmate population is not unique as the Texas' prison population continues its more-than-decade-long steady decline. It was at a 21st century low of less than 121,000 prisoners in 2020. 

Last year alone, Texas' total prison population dropped from 140,819 to 120,873, according to a Texas Legislative Budget Board report issued last month. Since 2011 TDCJ has closed or idled 11 prison facilities, of which six have been sold.

Even with the closures, Texas does not lack for prisons. TDCJ is made up of 100 facilities on 83 properties on 124,000 acres across the state. There are also contracts for one facility that is privately owned.

Doug Smith of the Texas Criminal Justice Foundation recently testified before the Texas House Committee on Appropriations that the decline in prison population saves the state $1 million daily, but that the cost will likely increase again after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state's Legislative Budget reports that the cost per day per prisoner is $62.34.