Willacy Unit

Willacy County TDCJ prison in Raymondville, in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas, state-operated since September 2025 and housing minimum-custody men with weekend visitation.

Overview

The Willacy Unit is a TDCJ prison in Raymondville, in Willacy County in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas. TDCJ lists it at about 1,069 beds and houses minimum-custody men (G1 and G2 classifications).

The unit became a state-operated TDCJ facility on September 1, 2025. Before that it operated as the Willacy County State Jail under a contract with Management & Training Corporation (MTC). After the transition, standard TDCJ visitation, mail, phone, and money procedures apply.

Two facts shape most of what families need to know about visiting here: the far-south location and the recent change in operator.

What Makes the Willacy Unit Different

• State-operated by TDCJ since September 1, 2025 — formerly the MTC-run Willacy County State Jail, so families should follow standard TDCJ rules rather than the former private-operator procedures
• In Raymondville, in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas, a long drive from most of the state; the nearest metro areas are Harlingen and Brownsville
• Houses minimum-custody men (G1 and G2 classifications)
• Separate from the nearby Willacy County federal immigration-detention center, a different facility in the same county; the TDCJ inmate locator confirms whether a person is assigned to the state Willacy Unit

Visiting Hours and Procedures

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

Visitors must be on the incarcerated person’s approved visitors list before a visit, and visits are arranged through the TDCJ Online Visitation Portal. Because the unit transitioned to state operation on September 1, 2025, post-transition schedules may still be settling, so confirming the current day and time with the unit before traveling is worthwhile.

Getting There and Parking

The Willacy Unit is in Raymondville, in Willacy County in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas. The unit sits at the intersection of Highway 77 South and FM 3168. For most of Texas this is a long drive, and the trip is by private vehicle.

The unit is reached by private vehicle. Raymondville is a small city, so families coming from outside the Rio Grande Valley generally plan for gas, food, and lodging in the Harlingen-Brownsville area before 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.

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