Alumnus Plots Road Map of Success for State Offenders

Travis Turner is the Vice Chairman of Classifications and Records for TDCJ.

On any given week, about 10,000 inmates from the Texas prison system are on the road – transferring among the state’s 109 correctional facilities or going to courts or other off-site appointments.

One of the key people behind those movements – as well as the classification of inmates in the system – is Travis Turner (’96), Vice Chairman of Classifications and Records for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His office determines the units where offenders are assigned and their level of custody security.

Linking SHSU Students with TDCJ Jobs

Major Jeremy Bryant (center) visits a corrections class at SHSU.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University share more than just an address in Huntsville. The two agencies frequently cooperate on educational and employment opportunities.

Countless alumni, including top level professionals in the field, trace their roots back to their first criminal justice jobs at prisons in the Huntsville area. Once a year, TDCJ offers an expedited training for new correctional officers in between semesters to allow SHSU students to access employment opportunities in the field.

“It’s pretty simple – Sam Houston State University has the best CJ college in the U.S," said Major Jeremy Bryant, who is in charge of training at the Minnie R. Houston Academy at the Ellis Unit in Huntsville. “Not only does TDCJ offer real time, practical experience, it allows students to go back to college and apply what they are doing with what they are learning. It develops critical thinking and well-rounded officers.” . . . Read more . . .

CMIT Hosts National Parole Board Training

Representatives from paroling authorities across the nation participated in a training at CMIT.

Parole board members from across the country gathered at Sam Houston State University to learn more about offenders with mental health and substance abuse issues.