Diboll Unit

TDCJ pre-release facility in Diboll, Angelina County, East Texas, returned to state operation in 2023, with weekend visitation.

Overview

The Diboll Unit is a TDCJ pre-release facility in Diboll, in Angelina County in East Texas. TDCJ lists it at about 518 beds and classifies it as a pre-release facility holding men at G1 and G2 custody. It opened in June 1995.

Two facts shape much about visiting here: the unit’s pre-release mission and its small size relative to TDCJ’s larger prisons.

What Makes Diboll Unit Different

• Returned to TDCJ state operation in 2023; it had previously been a privately operated facility, and it is now run directly by TDCJ’s Correctional Institutions Division
• A pre-release facility, with a mission centered on reentry planning rather than long-term general-population housing
• Programs include a faith-based dormitory, adult basic education and GED, life skills, and vocational training in carpentry and landscape design
• A separate facility from the Rufus H. Duncan Geriatric Facility, which is also in Diboll on South First Street; the TDCJ inmate locator shows the exact unit a person is assigned to, so families should confirm the unit before traveling

Visiting Hours and Procedures

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

As a pre-release unit holding men at G1 and G2 custody, Diboll typically uses standard contact visiting. The format still follows the incarcerated person’s classification and housing status, so room assignment and procedures can vary, and the exact arrangements at this unit are confirmed through the TDCJ Online Visitation Portal and the unit when a visit is scheduled.

Getting There and Parking

Diboll is in Angelina County in East Texas, just south of Lufkin along the US 59 corridor. The unit is on South First Street within the town.

A private vehicle is the practical way to reach the unit. There is no fixed-route public transit to the facility, and services thin out on the local approach, so families generally plan for gas, food, and any stops in the Lufkin-Diboll area before arriving.

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.

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