Multiple Custody Levels (G1-G4, Security Detention, Outside Trusty, Transient) · State Prison · TDCJ

George Beto Unit

Tennessee Colony, Anderson County, Texas

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (903) 928-2217 Info last verified: June 2026

A large Tennessee Colony cluster prison with a 46-bed assisted-living infirmary and a deep vocational lineup — next door to the Gurney Transfer Facility.

Statewide rules that apply at every TDCJ unit

These rules are set by TDCJ and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Texas.

Dress code

Tight-fitting, revealing, or see-through clothing is not allowed.
Sleeveless shirts and dresses are allowed only if the shoulders stay covered.
Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than three inches above the middle of the knee while standing.
Clothing with profane or offensive images or language is not allowed.
Visitors may not wear all-white clothing (incarcerated people wear white). Sandals and open-toe shoes are allowed.

ID: Each adult visitor (18 or older) must present a current government-issued photo ID, and at least one ID document must show a current physical address.
What to bring: No cell phones, smartwatches, cameras, other electronics, tobacco, paper money, food, or outside drinks. A small clear bag or change purse and up to $35 in coins for vending machines are allowed.
Scheduling: Visits are booked through the TDCJ Online Visitation Portal, at least one and no more than seven days ahead. One visit per weekend is standard.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Texas

Overview

The George Beto Unit is one of three large prisons in the Tennessee Colony cluster, sharing roughly 20,528 rural Anderson County acres with Coffield, Michael, Powledge, and the Gurney Transfer Facility. Opened in June 1980, it houses men from minimum through G4 custody, plus security detention, outside trusty, and transient populations, with a listed capacity of 3,471.

Its immediate neighbor matters for navigation: the Gurney Transfer Facility sits at 1385 FM 3328 and Beto at 1391 FM 3328 — nearby street numbers on the same farm road, with different mailing cities (Gurney uses Palestine, Beto uses Tennessee Colony). Coffield and Michael are on FM 2054, a different road in the same cluster. The inmate locator shows the exact assigned unit, and arriving at the right gate depends on it.

What Makes George Beto Unit Different

Medical depth: a 46-bed assisted-living infirmary with respiratory isolation rooms, physical therapy, a brace and limb clinic, chronic care, and 24/7 care managed by UTMB, with all services on a single level.
One of TDCJ’s deeper vocational lineups — five in-house trade programs (cabinetmaking, masonry, carpentry, plumbing, welding) plus four Trinity Valley Community College programs (business computers, drafting, electrical technology, electronics).
TDCJ lists the Sex Offender Education Program (SOEP) and a faith-based dormitory among its programs.
Regional hub roles: Region II maintenance headquarters and the Northern Region offender transportation operation run from here, along with a metal sign plant; Beto also provides laundry for the neighboring Gurney facility.
The transient population means some men are at Beto only briefly — worth confirming the assignment in the locator before traveling.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

The statewide rules above — approval, ID, prohibited items, and dress code — apply at Beto. What follows is specific to this unit.

Beto’s custody mix means the visiting format follows the incarcerated person’s classification — general population typically has contact visiting while restrictive housing means non-contact procedures on the same posted schedule. With about 3,471 beds, movement from housing to the visiting area can add waiting time between check-in and the start of a visit. Account setup and phone rates are covered in Phone & Video Calls.

Getting There and Parking

Beto is on FM 3328 in the rural southern section of the cluster, reached from the Palestine area road network.

TDCJ does not publish visitor parking details for the unit. There is no fixed-route bus to the unit. GoBus, the transit program of the East Texas Council of Governments, runs shared-ride, advance-reservation service across Anderson County on weekdays only — not on the weekend visiting days — so the trip is by car.

Nearby Services

Tennessee Colony is small, with limited commercial services; Palestine is the service hub for gas, food, groceries, and lodging, and options thin out on the final farm-to-market approach. Hotel sites list chain properties in Palestine, including Hampton Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express. Palestine Regional Medical Center on South Loop 256 operates a 24-hour emergency room, and a CHRISTUS emergency room also operates in Palestine.

For support beyond the unit itself, the Texas Incarcerated Families Association (TIFA) is a statewide nonprofit focused on education, advocacy, and prison-system navigation for families; its helpline is (512) 371-0900.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone at a Texas state prison:

Visiting in Texas — TDCJ approval process, dress code, scheduling
Mail & Packages — what you can send and what gets rejected
Phone & Video Calls — Securus accounts, call costs, video visits
Sending Money — how to add funds to a TDCJ trust account
Medical & Mental Health — healthcare in TDCJ facilities
Transfers — what happens during transfers

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.