Jester State Prison Farm
Encyclopedia
The Jester State Prison Farm refers to a complex of Texas Department of Criminal Justice
prisons for men in unincorporated
Fort Bend County
, Texas
. Individually they are Jester I Unit
, Carol Vance Unit
(Jester II Unit), Jester III Unit
, and Jester IV Unit
.
Texas State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) bisects the prison property.
A portion of the property is within the Pecan Grove CDP.
and Harlem II Unit
opened in 1885.
From July 20, 1888 to August 31, 1907 a post office was located on the prison farm. After the post office closed, the post office in Richmond, Texas
handled mail for the prison farm.
In 1908 the State of Texas bought the Riddick Plantation, which was next door to the Harlem property. The state incorporated that property into the Harlem Farm.
In September 1913 several prison guards in one of the units punished twelve African-American prisoners by placing them in a 9 in 3 in (2.82 m) long, 7 foot wide, and 6 foot high enclosure called "The Hole." The temperature in the enclosure went over 100 °F (37.8 °C), and convicts asked the guards to let them out. The guards did not let them out, and 8 of the 12 convicts died of suffucation.
In 1925 the prison farm had 5005 acres (2,025.5 ha) of land. During that year it had 260 prisoners. The complex received its current name, after Governor of Texas
Beauford H. Jester
, in the 1950s.
A spur track of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway opened at the prison farm to load and unload sugarcane that was produced at the farm. The railroad line closed in 1929.
Jester III Unit
opened in July 1982. Jester IV Unit
opened in November 1993.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
prisons for men in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Individually they are Jester I Unit
Jester I Unit
The Beauford H. Jester I Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice substance abuse felony punishment facility located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas. The unit is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond. The unit, with about of land, is co-located with Carol Vance Unit,...
, Carol Vance Unit
Carol Vance Unit
Carol S. Vance Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated central Fort Bend County, Texas. The unit, located in flatlands, is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond. The facility is in proximity to Sugar Land, and it is about southwest of Downtown...
(Jester II Unit), Jester III Unit
Jester III Unit
The Beauford H. Jester III Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. The unit is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond...
, and Jester IV Unit
Jester IV Unit
The Beauford H. Jester IV Unit is a psychiatric facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, east of Richmond. It is a part of the Jester State Prison Farm property and it is located in U.S. Highway 90A.The unit was established in...
.
Texas State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) bisects the prison property.
A portion of the property is within the Pecan Grove CDP.
History
Previously the complex was known as Harlem, the Harlem Prison Farm, or the Harlem Plantation. The state of Texas purchased the prison farm property in 1885 or 1886. Previously the property held several private plantations that used convict leasing. The plantations included the Harlem Plantation and several adjacent tracts of land. Harlem I UnitJester I Unit
The Beauford H. Jester I Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice substance abuse felony punishment facility located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas. The unit is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond. The unit, with about of land, is co-located with Carol Vance Unit,...
and Harlem II Unit
Carol Vance Unit
Carol S. Vance Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated central Fort Bend County, Texas. The unit, located in flatlands, is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond. The facility is in proximity to Sugar Land, and it is about southwest of Downtown...
opened in 1885.
From July 20, 1888 to August 31, 1907 a post office was located on the prison farm. After the post office closed, the post office in Richmond, Texas
Richmond, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,081 people, 3,413 households, and 2,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,975.4 people per square mile . There were 3,595 housing units at an average density of 965.3 per square mile...
handled mail for the prison farm.
In 1908 the State of Texas bought the Riddick Plantation, which was next door to the Harlem property. The state incorporated that property into the Harlem Farm.
In September 1913 several prison guards in one of the units punished twelve African-American prisoners by placing them in a 9 in 3 in (2.82 m) long, 7 foot wide, and 6 foot high enclosure called "The Hole." The temperature in the enclosure went over 100 °F (37.8 °C), and convicts asked the guards to let them out. The guards did not let them out, and 8 of the 12 convicts died of suffucation.
In 1925 the prison farm had 5005 acres (2,025.5 ha) of land. During that year it had 260 prisoners. The complex received its current name, after Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Beauford H. Jester
Beauford H. Jester
Beauford Halbert Jester was a U.S. political figure, the son of George Taylor Jester and his second wife, Frances Gordon Jester. He served as the 36th Governor of Texas from 1947 until 1949, when he died of a heart attack...
, in the 1950s.
A spur track of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway opened at the prison farm to load and unload sugarcane that was produced at the farm. The railroad line closed in 1929.
Jester III Unit
Jester III Unit
The Beauford H. Jester III Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. The unit is along U.S. Highway 90A, east of central Richmond...
opened in July 1982. Jester IV Unit
Jester IV Unit
The Beauford H. Jester IV Unit is a psychiatric facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, east of Richmond. It is a part of the Jester State Prison Farm property and it is located in U.S. Highway 90A.The unit was established in...
opened in November 1993.