What Is Medium Custody in a Texas Prison?

In the state of Texas, prison facilities determine custody levels based on facility needs and departmental policies. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice uses five levels; how an inmate behaves while in custody is more important in determining his custody level than the offense he committed that brought him there.

Levels

• Levels are assigned based on risk and needs assessments and range from one to five, with one ranked as the lowest risk and five the highest. When a prisoner commits sexual crimes, escapes or assaults others while inside, he receives maximum custody. Level 4 custody offenders show behavioral improvement at Level 5 in the past 6 months and may have attempted escape in the past 10 years or had two disciplinary actions in the past 6 months. Medium-custody or Level 3 offenders received sentences of 50 years or longer and have committed no infractions for the past six months and have not escaped prison in 10 years. Level 2 offenders have never escaped, have served at least five years of a 50-year sentence and have not had three disciplinary actions in the past two years for assault. Minimum custody or Level 1 inmates have no history of sexual offenses or violence.

Significance

• The custody level of the inmate demonstrates the degree of trust the offender has earned, usually based on her behavior. Inmates in minimum-security prisons can serve work release outside the prison. This risk level is considered by the parole board, either positively or negatively, at release.

Considerations

• Some inmates may reside in a medium-custody prison with additional considerations. These can include mental health housing or even hospitals. Protective custody inmates live in segregated quarters because of special safety issues.