Ramsey Unit

The W. F. Ramsey Unit (previously Ramsey I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas. The prison is located on Farm to Market Road 655, near Rosharon, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Farm to Market Road 521,.[1] and south of Houston.[2] The 16,369 acres (6,624 ha) unit is co-located with the Stringfellow Unit and the Terrell Unit.[1]

Contents

History

The unit opened in July 1908.[1] The Ramsey Prison Farm consisted of five former plantations.[3] In 1935 Ramsey housed African American prisoners.[4] In 1963, before racial desegregation occurred, the Ramsey I Unit housed White prisoners.[5]

In 2011 the Central Unit closed. The former truck distribution center at Central moved to Ramsey.[6]

Operations

The Ramsey Unit is within the attendance zone of the Alvin Community College. Ramsey was included through H.B. No. 2744,[7] filed on March 6, 2007.[8]

Notable inmates

Notable inmates of the Ramsey Unit include:

David Ruíz, plaintiff of Ruiz v. Estelle, served time at the historic Ramsey Farm.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ramsey Unit." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 16, 2010.
  2. ^ "Texas Department of Criminal Justice offers gang members chance for new life." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. September/October 2009. Retrieved on November 19, 2010.
  3. ^ "Convict Leasing and State Account Farming (1883-1909)." Texas State Library and Archives. Retrieved on April 29, 2011.
  4. ^ Trulson, Chad R., James W. Marquart, and Ben M. Crouch. First Available Cell: Desegregation of the Texas Prison System. University of Texas Press, 2009. 81. Retrieved from Google Books on July 16, 2010. ISBN 0292719833, 9780292719835.
  5. ^ Trulson, Chad R., James W. Marquart, and Ben M. Crouch. First Available Cell: Desegregation of the Texas Prison System. University of Texas Press, 2009. 82. Retrieved from Google Books on July 16, 2010. ISBN 0292719833, 9780292719835.
  6. ^ Ward, Mike. "Texas closing prison as part of cutbacks." Austin-American Statesman at KDH News. Wednesday August 3, 2011. Retrieved on September 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "H.B. No. 2744." Texas Legislature. Retrieved on March 11, 2011. "(3) the territory located in Brazoria County, situated to the west of the Alvin Community College District boundary as it existed on January 1, 2003, extending west to the eastern border of Fort Bend County, and south to County Roads 49, 34, and 255, including the City of Rosharon and the Darrington and Ramsey Units of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice."
  8. ^ "Bill: HB 2744." Texas Legislature. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
  9. ^ Keys, Perryn. "JASPER: THE ROAD BACK: Did prison time turn man into one of Byrd's killers?" Beaumont Enterprise. June 9, 2008. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.
  10. ^ "Offender Information Detail Brooks, David Owen." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 20, 2010. Enter the SID "01922285."
  11. ^ "Tuck, David Henry." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on January 5, 2010. Enter the SID "06716680"
  12. ^ Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. 254. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.

External links

Houston portal
Texas portal
Criminal justice portal