Clemens Unit

One of TDCJ's oldest prison farms, near Brazoria in Brazoria County; a general-population men's unit with agricultural operations. Not to be confused with the Clements Unit in Amarillo.

Overview

The Clemens Unit is a general-population men’s prison near Brazoria in Brazoria County, southwest of the Houston metro area. TDCJ established it in 1893, making it one of the oldest prison farms in the state system. TDCJ lists it at about 1,215 beds, and it houses custody levels G1 through G4 plus outside trusty.

The unit operates as a working farm, and its rural Gulf Coast location southeast of Angleton shapes the practical side of visiting.

What Makes Clemens Unit Different

• One of TDCJ’s oldest prison farms, established in 1893
• A working agricultural operation — beef cattle, swine, and edible and field crops, with security horses and canines used in unit operations
• General-population housing across G1-G4 custody levels plus outside trusty, so the visiting format follows the incarcerated person’s classification
• A rural Brazoria County location reached by highway and farm-to-market roads, with services concentrated toward Angleton and Lake Jackson rather than at the unit

Programs and Services

The Clemens Unit runs agricultural operations including beef cattle, swine finishing, and edible and field crops, along with security horses and canine units used in unit work. Medical care is managed by UTMB and includes ambulatory medical, dental, and mental health services. Education and vocational offerings include Adult Basic Education and GED preparation, special education, and English as a Second Language, plus vocational training in bricklaying and masonry, construction carpentry, computer repair, and drafting. The unit also operates a faith-based dormitory and provides reentry planning and chaplaincy services.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

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

The unit’s G1-G4 custody mix is the reason one posted schedule does not mean one visiting experience. General-population housing typically uses standard contact visiting, while more restrictive housing status can mean different room assignments or non-contact procedures on the same weekend. The format follows the incarcerated person’s classification, so two families arriving the same morning may have different experiences.

Getting There and Parking

The Clemens Unit sits in a rural section of Brazoria County, southeast of Angleton near where FM 2004 meets Highway 36. The drive from the Houston area runs on highways and finishes on rural roads, and commercial services thin out on the final approach.

Phones, Mail, and Video

Contact has a sequence to it. A phone number must be on the incarcerated person’s approved contact list before calls can connect, and after intake or a transfer that approval can take time to process. Calls are placed by the incarcerated person on TDCJ’s Securus phone system; a prison cannot be called into. Account setup, rates, and video options are covered in Phone & Video Calls, and mail rules are in Mail & Packages.

Nearby Services

Brazoria is a small city, and the area immediately around the unit has limited commercial services. The nearest concentration of gas, food, groceries, and lodging is toward Angleton, the Brazoria County seat, and Lake Jackson, both a short drive from the unit. Options thin out on the final farm-to-market approach to the prison.

For support beyond the unit itself, the Texas Inmate Families Association is a statewide nonprofit focused on education, advocacy, and prison-system navigation resources for families with someone in TDCJ custody.

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