Tag: Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville

Huntsville Prison Fire

Criminal Justice

Fire at Huntsville state prison prompts evacuation of 600-plus inmates from their cells

Posted on · No injuries were reported among prisoners or staff, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, who said everyone at the facility was accounted for and in a secure location.

Houston Matters

Convict Cowboys: The Untold History of the Texas Prison Rodeo

Posted on · In 1931, officials at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville started a rodeo for inmates. Intended simply as entertainment for prisoners and employees, it eventually grew to become the largest sporting event in the state of Texas, drawing crowds as large as a hundred thousand in some years. A book called Convict Cowboys: The Untold […]