Huntsville, the Texas town where prisons are an industry
With seven prisons, a cemetery for dead inmates and its infamous execution chamber, the business of detention and death is a way of life in the Texas town of Huntsville.
With seven prisons, a cemetery for dead inmates and its infamous execution chamber, the business of detention and death is a way of life in the Texas town of Huntsville.
In this neat and tidy city north of Houston, prisoners identifiable by white uniforms maintain public green spaces under a blazing sun and the gaze of a guard sitting on the edge of a car.
Out of Huntsville's population of 38,000 people, 14,000 are prisoners and a further 6,000 are guards or employees of the Texas Justice Department.
Instead of tourist signs pointing out antique shops, the tomb of famous Texas governor Sam Houston, or other places of interest, a visitor is guided to the various prisons: the Wynne Unit, the Byrne Unit, Hollyday Unit.
"Prison, it's an industry here," said Kathreen Case, executive director of the Texas defender service. "It is their industry. It is amazing how many people can earn their lives out of it."
Prisons generate US$16.6 million in wages per month, while nearly 200 educators from the Windham School District contribute another US$740,000 each month to the local economy, according to the local Chamber of Commerce.