TDCJ agency page updates

[rattlerbb01]

It is a long time coming, but I am finally working on updating the TDCJ page to a more location based scanning friendly layout. I have found quite a bit of outdated stuff from closed units and cancelled licenses that I am removing as necessary. I was able to tackle Regions 1-3 tonight, and will work on the rest as I get time. Take a look and see if you can find anything that helps out. If you are in a county with a TDCJ unit, or travel near one frequently, check the FCC licenses page for that county and see if there are new repeaters that aren't in the database yet. TDCJ has added unique repeaters, sometimes multiple, to almost every unit over the last decade. The days of routine simplex communication appear to be in the rear view mirror. Some of these have been identified as active by listeners, but may be missing PL/DPL or even NAC/CC if we have reached that era yet. All licenses include P25 C4FM, CQPSK and narrowband analog emissions.

 

[rattlerbb01]

The page is complete and should work like a charm with GPS scanners. The statewide channels including Common are geotagged for the entire state, so if you use a Uniden and don't want to scan them everywhere you go, set that group to avoid or lock out everything but Common.

 

[Ensnared]

You are going to need to get close to one of the units in order to hear the building frequencies. These don't go through repeaters. I worked in TDCJ-ID for twenty-two years.

 

[rattlerbb01]

You are going to need to get close to one of the units in order to hear the building frequencies. These don't go through repeaters. I worked in TDCJ-ID for twenty-two years.

I know that was the case when I worked there back in 2002-08. I worked at Estelle, Luther and Pack, and did OT at Ferguson and Polunsky. Back then, Luther was the only one of those using a repeater for building ops. A majority of them have switched to low power repeaters for building ops now and all have dumped UHF for VHF. There are still several small units that haven’t added any repeater licenses that are probably still using their old building channels though for sure. I am doing a lot of traveling this week moving equipment for my job so I plan on driving near a lot of the units to see what comes up. As far as the database goes, it’s up to everyone that is in proximity to a unit to listen and keep us updated. We both know that even if most stuff is on a repeater, there is a lot of good stuff closer by that is simplex like wardens and other rank chit chatting

 

[rattlerbb01]

Lockhart CC is now on 452.750 PL 173.8. I’ll update that and deprecate the defunct Geo Group frequencies

 

[rattlerbb01]

I also confirmed Travis SJ as listed, heard prison activity in Palestine on 154.995 and 155.925 but could not lock in any PL/DPL as I was too far south of the Tennessee Colony units, and I got the East Texas private facility in Henderson on 461.325 PL 85.4. I’ll have to try and get closer to Beto et al later this week when I head back.

 

[riverradio68]

Nice update. I was curious why Diagnostics Units isn't covered? Are all the Ramsey units considered as one? Retrieve unit is missing also. Rattler, was Glen Cooksey still HMFIC of TCI on Luther unit? I have a few other active frequencies for Moore/Cole units.

Buster Cole Unit:

151.95500 67.0 Hall Boss's
154.99500 67.0 Recreation

Choice Moore Unit:

153.90500 100.0 Dog crew
155.37000 156.7 Field Force (when outside of the fence)
154.99500 100.0 Recreation

 

[rattlerbb01]

Nice update. I was curious why Diagnostics Units isn't covered? Are all the Ramsey units considered as one? Retrieve unit is missing also. Rattler, was Glen Cooksey still HMFIC of TCI on Luther unit? I have a few other active frequencies for Moore/Cole units.

Buster Cole Unit:

151.95500 67.0 Hall Boss's
154.99500 67.0 Recreation

Choice Moore Unit:

153.90500 100.0 Dog crew
155.37000 156.7 Field Force (when outside of the fence)
154.99500 100.0 Recreation

😂There have been a lot of changes in the last 20 years.
Diagnostic is Byrd Unit
Ramsey I is still Ramsey
Ramsey II is now Stringfellow
Ramsey III is now Terrell
Terrell changed to Polunsky back in 2000 ish after death row moved there
Gatesville Unit became Crain
Retrieve became Scott, and is now closed
Jester I closed
Neal closed
Bartlett closed
Gurney closed
Ware closed
Garza East closed

Inmate population is on the decline and some of the older units are being looked at seriously for closure. Retrieve was historic but a nasty farm if you hear feedback from guards and former inmates, basically falling apart after 101 years

 

[Russell]

Exceptional job Dude!!!

 

[rattlerbb01]

Rattler, was Glen Cooksey still HMFIC of TCI on Luther unit?

Forgot to answer this: name sounds familiar from when I was there, but it’s been 15 years since I worked at Luther. I was only there 8 months when I transferred from Estelle back to Navasota which was home. I wanted Pack and it was full so I immediately put in a transfer request for Pack the day I hit the Luther unit. I rode my last two years out at the Trusty Camp there and also did some Buffalo Ranch escorts. If the pay wasn’t so crappy, that would have been the place to retire.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Confirmed all 4 repeaters at Ferguson and Eastham today. The only new update is that 154.235 has a PL of 100.0 and is used for inside Eastham, and 155.5875 is for outside ops. Ferguson has 156.210 inside and 153.815 outside.

 

[riverradio68]

Stainless steel was at Pack II. I am guessing they renamed it to Luther unit. In late 1990 Pack II went through some serious changes, hell the whole system was changing then. Willet was the warden but was offered Warden on DU but ended up on Gorree. The head warden, guy named Hughes was fired after a triple killing in the kitchen and it was found out he was selling the beef and giving the facility horse instead.

I was reading your notes on some of those units, didn't know J1 was as old as it was. Retrieve was the smallest facility I believe at about 500 population. Cooksey was a BIG ROUND man, they offered him senior warden at the facility of his choice several times. He turned those down to be the head of TCI and stay at Pack. That man was every bit as powerful as any of those higher up's in Huntsville.

All those WHITE bunks and partitions were painted on the back dock, manufactured at the Iron Plant at Beto I. They replaced the double racks that new boots kept falling out of in their sleep. All those Seg walls that went to Snyder, Holiday and Michael were built in the Stainless plant at Pack. Did you know if you dip a rat in a bucket of Argon gas you can curl the tail over your ear and wear them? SS was a blast!

Good overhaul of the page. Keep up the good work.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Stainless steel was at Pack II. I am guessing they renamed it to Luther unit. In late 1990 Pack II went through some serious changes, hell the whole system was changing then. Willet was the warden but was offered Warden on DU but ended up on Gorree. The head warden, guy named Hughes was fired after a triple killing in the kitchen and it was found out he was selling the beef and giving the facility horse instead.

I was reading your notes on some of those units, didn't know J1 was as old as it was. Retrieve was the smallest facility I believe at about 500 population. Cooksey was a BIG ROUND man, they offered him senior warden at the facility of his choice several times. He turned those down to be the head of TCI and stay at Pack. That man was every bit as powerful as any of those higher up's in Huntsville.

All those WHITE bunks and partitions were painted on the back dock, manufactured at the Iron Plant at Beto I. They replaced the double racks that new boots kept falling out of in their sleep. All those Seg walls that went to Snyder, Holiday and Michael were built in the Stainless plant at Pack. Did you know if you dip a rat in a bucket of Argon gas you can curl the tail over your ear and wear them? SS was a blast!

Good overhaul of the page. Keep up the good work.

Lots of good history there. When I was a kid in Navasota they were still Pack 1 & 2. By the time I was old enough to work there, it was Luther. Lots of good people there, but a majority of the inmates were young with medium sentences and the guards didn’t care to keep them in line. I volunteered for every hospital run, outside picket fill in and perimeter vehicle shift I could. I came from Estelle where we kept order, at least back in the early 00’s.
To keep it radio related, Luther was one of the first units to run a narrowband repeater for building ops. The only others in use were high security supersegs at Estelle and Gib Lewis. It was amazing to be able to talk to anyone in the building when I got to Luther vs when I was at Estelle, north hall couldn’t hear south hall, and central had to relay everything.

 

[riverradio68]

Luther (P2) only had those silver face Motorola Portables back then. Chain busses probably used the radio more than anyone else. In 93 Beto 1 was only using Motorola Spirit radios inside and those were on VHF. It amazes me how little the state gives (or gave) TDCJ any kind of serious communications. I would pay an extra tax to see trunking systems put in for bigger medium/maximum security facilities for staff safety. Something reliable including tipper alerts with gear that penetrates steel and concrete. IMO TDCJ Security have a more dangerous job than THP yet THP get new APX mobiles every 3 to 5 years, makes no sense.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Luther (P2) only had those silver face Motorola Portables back then. Chain busses probably used the radio more than anyone else. In 93 Beto 1 was only using Motorola Spirit radios inside and those were on VHF. It amazes me how little the state gives (or gave) TDCJ any kind of serious communications. I would pay an extra tax to see trunking systems put in for bigger medium/maximum security facilities for staff safety. Something reliable including tipper alerts with gear that penetrates steel and concrete. IMO TDCJ Security have a more dangerous job than THP yet THP get new APX mobiles every 3 to 5 years, makes no sense.

I am of the opinion that 2 UHF DMR repeaters at most units would get the job done if there was no consideration for interoperability with the counties and state law enforcement. That would allow for 4 repeated channels that propagate well in that environment and could be done for much cheaper than P25. However, they have to be interoperable with the locals and the state so VHF is the way to go. Leaves them vulnerable to intentional interference as long as they stay analog though.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Skyview - 154.875 is licensed for a repeater but simplex was used, 167.9 PL.
Hodge - silent the whole time I was in Rusk.
Beto - 154.995 DPL 546 - security, counts
Coffield - 154.740 DPL 516 - security, counts
Coffield - 155.8425 PL 100.0 - called channel 2, used for security question during count
Michael - 155.670 PL 100.0 - security, counts
Michael - 159.180 PL 100.0 - repeated but weak from where I was. Could not make out conversation to know what it was used for.
Powledge - 155.925 PL 100.0 - only traffic was count clearing

so all I heard were repeaters except for skyview. Still no confirmed vhf channel for hodge yet.

 

[rattlerbb01]

McConnell primary - 155.9475 346 DPL
Connally primary - 153.815 131 DPL
Connally 2 (ad seg?) - 155.4375 343 DPL
Garza West - 154.3475 466 DPL

that’s all for the US 181 drive today👍🏼

 

[rattlerbb01]

Skyview - 154.875 is licensed for a repeater but simplex was used, 167.9 PL.
Hodge - silent the whole time I was in Rusk.

Went back through today and noticed that the repeater was in fact in use with no hang time. Both Hodge and Skyview Central Control identified on this channel and building movements were heard and a count cleared on Hodge.

I also heard 154.1150 used with a 67.0 PL passing through Palestine near the units asking for a sergeant by name but I couldn't tell which one of the 5 it came from.

 

[riverradio68]

I spent all day yesterday (Tuesday 6/15) listening to Cole/Moore units (yawn) what a way to spend the day. Seems the repeater is shared by both units; 153.78500 PL: 100.0 Though MOST of Moore's operations occur on the repeater. 154.99500 PL: 67.0 seems to be building security for the Cole unit, Mostly education and recreation. 151.95500 100.0 on Choice Moore appears to be a TAC-2 Q&A channel for brass. Never realized how annoying "Send your Pill window" and "Send your chow" can be. But I did hear an electrical fire on Cole and it was kinda cool to hear weather and temperature reports for recreation.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I spent all day yesterday (Tuesday 6/15) listening to Cole/Moore units (yawn) what a way to spend the day. Seems the repeater is shared by both units; 153.78500 PL: 100.0 Though MOST of Moore's operations occur on the repeater. 154.99500 PL: 67.0 seems to be building security for the Cole unit, Mostly education and recreation. 151.95500 100.0 on Choice Moore appears to be a TAC-2 Q&A channel for brass. Never realized how annoying "Send your Pill window" and "Send your chow" can be. But I did hear an electrical fire on Cole and it was kinda cool to hear weather and temperature reports for recreation.

Yeah, I could not park and listen for any length of time. But I’m the same with routine law enforcement stuff, it gets boring quick. I may slow down or make a food stop and leave it recording for later review. My favorite ones are the really grandiose picket bosses clearing count or giving weather reports. God forbid something happen while they are keyed up on their 20 second long spiel😂