Walker-Sayle unit celebrates 25 years

The story about the Walker-Sayle Unit did not begin when the first clients arrived in August 1994. It began much earlier in the planning stages with the Stephens County Prison Task Force led by chairman Dale Cary along with members Ward Veale, King Hoerman, Mark Martin, Stan Carstens, Bruce Curry, Dwain Tolle, Virgil Moore III, Jerry Gibson, Jerry Toland, and James C. Hestand, as early as 1989.

Finally, in November 1992, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) authorized the construction of a 500-bed unit as a Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility to be located northeast of Breckenridge, off Highway 67, on FM Rd. 1800. Completion of construction was set for August 1994, when the first clients would be checked into the facility.

For the full story please see the Sept. 18 edition of the Breckenridge American.