Mixed (G1-G4) and Security Detention · Women's Prison · TDCJ

Dr. Lane Murray Unit

Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (254) 865-2000 Info last verified: April 2026

TDCJ women's prison in Gatesville with mixed G1-G4 custody, security detention, and weekend visitation scheduled through the state portal.

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

Dr. Lane Murray Unit is a TDCJ women’s prison in Gatesville. TDCJ says the unit opened in November 1995, houses female incarcerated people across G1-G4 custody and Security Detention, and has been accredited by the American Correctional Association since May 2001.

The unit is part of the larger Gatesville prison complex rather than a stand-alone site. TDCJ lists Murray on a 1,283-acre campus co-located with the Crain, Hilltop, and Woodman units, which means the final approach passes multiple prison properties and unit signs before visitor processing. TDCJ also identifies Murray as a treatment and program-heavy unit, with the Corrective Intervention Pre-Release Program, the Mental Health Therapeutic Diversion Program, education programs, and reentry planning.

What Makes Dr. Lane Murray Unit Different

TDCJ identifies Murray as a women’s unit that houses female incarcerated people across G1-G4 custody and Security Detention.
The Gatesville campus is shared with three other TDCJ units, so a single trip to Murray can involve the same access roads and checkpoints families use for other prison visits in Coryell County.
TDCJ lists both the Corrective Intervention Pre-Release Program and the Mental Health Therapeutic Diversion Program at Murray, which is not standard language on every general population unit page.
Educational programming extends beyond GED classes. TDCJ lists ESL, special education, hospitality and tourism career training, and college academics through Central Texas College and Texas A&M University-Central Texas.
Medical services are broader than a basic clinic model. TDCJ says Murray has ambulatory care, dental, mental health, physical and occupational therapy, chronic care clinics, and wheelchair-accommodated housing managed by UTMB.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

Murray uses TDCJ’s statewide visitor-list and portal system, but the unit’s custody mix means the posted weekend schedule can still translate into either contact or general visiting depending on the incarcerated person’s classification and housing assignment.

The statewide rules above — approval, ID, prohibited items, and dress code — apply at Murray, and the duty warden makes the final decision on entry. Full details, including how minors, split visits, and extended visits work, are in Visiting in Texas.

Getting There and Parking

Murray is on the north side of Gatesville, on the same broader prison-campus road network used for several other TDCJ units.

From Austin: North on I-35 toward Belton, then westbound connectors toward Gatesville and the Highway 36 bypass; usually about 2 hours depending on departure point

From Waco: West on US-84 to Gatesville, then north through town to the prison campus; often about 60-75 minutes

From Fort Worth / DFW: South and southwest through the I-35 / US-84 corridor toward Gatesville, then the final Highway 36 approach; often about 2-2.5 hours

Parking: Visitor parking is available at the unit. TDCJ’s permissible-items page states that all vehicles on prison property are subject to search.

Entry: Check-in takes place at visitor processing with identification review, dress-code review, and standard screening. Because Murray shares a campus with three other units, the entrance sequence includes more unit signage and prison traffic than a single-unit site.

Public transportation exists in Gatesville, but it is limited and not prison-specific. Hill Country Transit District says The HOP serves Coryell County through microtransit and demand-response service that connects riders with healthcare, shopping, and other services across the region. TDCJ’s Murray page does not list a dedicated shuttle or visitor bus stop at the unit.

Healthcare and urgent care are in town rather than on the prison campus. Coryell Health lists Coryell Memorial Hospital at 1507 West Main Street in Gatesville, with 25 hospital beds, and its Gatesville clinic campus includes a Quick Care walk-in clinic on Memorial Drive with Saturday hours.

Nearby Services

Most trip support for Murray visits is in Gatesville itself rather than at the prison entrance. The Gatesville Convention and Visitors Bureau directs visitors to town lodging, dining, and event information, and the main commercial corridor follows US-84, Highway 36, and the downtown/Main Street area. Comfort Inn & Suites Gatesville and Days Inn by Wyndham Gatesville both operate in Gatesville.

Medical, pharmacy, and basic shopping stops are also concentrated in Gatesville rather than on the prison campus. For broader family support outside 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

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.