William P. Hobby Unit

A TDCJ women's prison in Marlin, in Central Texas southeast of Waco.

Overview

The William P. Hobby Unit is a TDCJ prison for women in Marlin, in Falls County. TDCJ lists it at about 1,384 beds. Marlin sits in Central Texas southeast of Waco, and the unit serves as one of the state system’s facilities for women.

Two facts shape most of the visiting logistics here: that the unit houses women, and its Central Texas location southeast of Waco.

What Makes William P. Hobby Unit Different

• A TDCJ prison for women, so visiting follows the rules and procedures that apply to the women’s units in the system
• Located in Marlin, in Falls County, Central Texas southeast of Waco
• TDCJ lists the unit at about 1,384 beds
• Houses a mix of custody levels, so the visiting format follows the incarcerated person’s classification rather than one unit-wide rule

Visiting Hours and Procedures

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

TDCJ units use standard weekend visitation, and visits are scheduled through the TDCJ Online Visitation Portal. The portal shows the current days, hours, and available time slots for the unit, which can change, so the posted schedule there is the authoritative source for a given weekend.

The unit’s 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 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 William P. Hobby Unit is in Marlin, in Central Texas southeast of Waco.

There is no fixed-route bus to the unit, so the trip is by car.

The nearest hospital and urgent care are in the Marlin and Waco area, not at the unit. Ascension Providence on West Highway 6 in Waco operates a 24-hour emergency room, and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest on Hospital Drive in Waco also operates a 24-hour emergency room.

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.

Nearby Services

Marlin is a small city with limited commercial services. Waco, to the northwest, is the nearest larger service center for gas, food, groceries, and lodging, with options thinning out closer to the unit. Hotel sites list chain properties in Waco, including Hampton Inn & Suites Waco-South and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Waco South.

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