Louis C. Powledge Unit

The Louie C. Powledge Unit (B2, originally the Beto II Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison for men located in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas.^[1] The approximately 20,518-acre (8,303 ha) unit, co-located with the Beto, Coffield, and Michael prison units and the Gurney Unit transfer facility, is along Farm to Market Road 3452. The facility is located off of Farm to Market Road 645, 7 miles (11 km) west of Palestine.^[2]

Louis C. Powledge Unit

Location	1400 FM 3452 Palestine, Texas 75803
Coordinates	31.7334000°N 095.8042833°W / 31.7334000; -095.8042833
Status	Operational
Security class	G2, G3, Administrative Segregation, Outside Trusty
Capacity	Unit: 816 Trustee Camp: 321
Opened	July 1982
Former name	Beto II Unit
Managed by	TDCJ Correctional Institutions Division
Warden	Jimmy Bowman
County	Anderson County
Country	USA
Website	www.tdcj.state.tx.us/unit_directory../b2.html

Aerial view of the Coffield Prison Farm Property (The Powledge, Beto, Coffield, Gurney, and Michael units)

1977 United States Geological Survey map of the land which now houses the Powledge Unit

The unit opened in July 1982 as the Beto II Unit.^[3] It was originally named after former Texas Department of Corrections (TDC) head George Beto.^[4] Construction of the bus repair facility began in October 1982 and ended in October 1984. The unit acquired additional acreage in October 1986. Construction of a 200-person trusty camp facility began in 1987 and ended in January 1989. In October 1988 the bus repair facility was converted into a manufacturer of dump beds and spreader boxes for the Highway Department dump trucks and of jail steel products for the construction of additional TDCJ units. The Louis C. Powledge Unit received its current name on May 5, 1995, after Louie C. Powledge, a former Assistant Director of Contract Construction.^[3]

In 2011 the Stiles Unit metal products plant closed. Its operations were consolidated with those of Powledge and Coffield Unit.^[5]

Notable Offenders

Current (as of 2019):

• Warren Jeffs^[6] –leader of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of multiple children.
• Eddie Ray Routh – Convicted of murdering Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield in 2013.^[7]

Former:

• Carlos Coy (South Park Mexican) - Houston, Texas rapper convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child^[8]
• Royce Zeigler – convicted of the murder of Riley Ann Sawyers^[9]
• Terry Hornbuckle – former pastor in Arlington, TX church, convicted of raping females in congregation.^[10]