TDCJ "Walls Unit" Clock -- Huntsville TX
N 30° 43.370 W 095° 32.790
15R E 256156 N 3401654
The "official" clock for the TX death chamber, critical to legal operation of the busiest death house in the US, looms high over Huntsville's historic "Walls Unit" prison. This clock literally ticks down the final minutes of inmate's lives.
Waymark Code: WMG2G4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/03/2013
Views: 6
The Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is more commonly known as the "Walls Unit" for its unique high red-brick walls. The Walls Unit is the oldest prison in Texas, accepting its first inmates in 1849. It housed Union Army POWs during the Civil War. Walls Unit inmates made uniforms and tents for the Confederate Army in the textile factory there. The Walls Unit also hosted the famous Texas Prison Rodeo from 1931-1986.
When State of Texas rescinded the authority to administer capital punishment from individual Texas counties in 1923, that law required that all Texas executions take place at the Walls Unit, which also housed Texas' death row.
In 1975 all death row prisoners were relocated from the Walls Unit when three Walls inmates took 15 people hostage (10 education department workers, the prison chaplain, and 4 fellow prisoners). The crisis dragged on for 11 days. It ended in a hail of bullets when the 3 inmate hostage-takers made a desperate break for freedom using their hostages and chalkboards ripped from classroom walls as shields.
When the inmates saw they could not possibly escape, they started shooting their hostages. Two hostages died before one hostage-taker committed suicide and prison guards killed another hostage-taker. One hostage-taker was captured trying to hiding under some hostages. He was tried and convicted of capital murder. He was returned years later to the Walls Unit for his execution.
Male death-row inmates are now housed at the Polunsky Unit; females are imprisoned at the Mountain View Unit.
While the Walls unit no longer houses death row inmates on a long-term basis, condemned inmates (male or female) are brought from death row to the Walls Unit a few hours before they are scheduled to die in the TDCJ's only execution chamber, which is located under the northeast picket inside the high prison walls.
Texas law stipulates that executions may not take place before 6pm on the date set for the inmate's execution, or after midnight (which would be the next day). The official time to legally execute a prisoner is determined by the clock over the main entrance into the Walls Unit.
The Walls Unit has been renovated many times. The clock that currently is located over the main entry to the offices of the prison was installed during a facade renovation in the mid 1930s.
Ironically, the main purpose of the Walls Unit in today's Texas prison system is to serve as a pre-release center for inmates who have completed their sentences and will be paroled to the Houston Region.
Status: Working
Display: Mounted
Year built: 01/01/1934
Web link to additional info: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of clock.