What is dawson state jail?

Dawson State Jail, also known as the Dawson Unit, was a privately run state prison located in Dallas County, Texas. It was operated by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) under contract with the State of Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The facility had a capacity of 2,240 beds and housed male inmates.

The prison opened in 1997 and operated until it was closed in 2013 due to concerns about inmate safety and poor conditions. In 2008, a federal lawsuit was filed against CCA and the state of Texas, alleging that conditions at the prison violated the constitutional rights of inmates, including inadequate food, water, and medical care, as well as physical and sexual abuse by guards.

In 2011, an investigation by the Texas Observer revealed that the company running Dawson State Jail had given thousands of dollars in campaign donations to local politicians, including the judge who approved the prison’s original construction, leading to accusations of conflicts of interest.

The closure of Dawson State Jail was announced in 2013 as part of broader efforts to reduce the state’s reliance on private prisons and improve conditions for inmates in state-run facilities. The remaining inmates were either transferred to other facilities or released from custody.