What Families Should Know About TDCJ Intake and the Offender Orientation Handbook

When someone enters the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), they're supposed to receive the latest Offender Orientation Handbook. This document spells out standards of behavior and day-to-day rules across TDCJ facilities (including Deaf Smith County Jail when it operates in that role). If you want to understand what your loved one is expected to follow from day one, start here.

The handbook isn't just reading material - it's tied to real consequences. Offenders are responsible for understanding and following everything in it, plus any additional policies posted at their assigned facility. Not knowing a rule doesn't prevent discipline, and discipline affects daily life inside. Knowing what the handbook covers helps you have clearer conversations and encourage your loved one to take orientation seriously from the start.

Intake is more than getting booked. According to the handbook, the early stage includes receiving and screening, photographs and fingerprints, a physical exam, mental-health screening, orientation, testing and assessment, and an intake interview. Your loved one will move through identification steps, health checks, and evaluations quickly - with a lot of information coming at once. The handbook gives them a consistent reference point as they're processed into TDCJ.

If your loved one's primary language is Spanish, TDCJ policy says they should receive a Spanish-language version of the Offender Orientation Handbook. This isn't optional - it's how TDCJ is supposed to make sure the person understands what's expected and can avoid preventable trouble early on.

The handbook's intake section specifically covers the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signaling that disability-related needs should be considered during intake. If your loved one has a disability affecting communication, mobility, or comprehension, treat intake as the moment to raise accommodation needs clearly. Getting them documented early matters.

One of the toughest parts for families: "not knowing" doesn't protect your loved one inside. TDCJ states that all offenders confined in a TDCJ facility are responsible for understanding and following the rules in the Offender Orientation Handbook, plus other policies posted at their assigned facility. Orientation isn't optional in practice - your loved one is expected to learn the rules and live by them right away.

• ✓ Ask your loved one if they received the latest revised Offender Orientation Handbook when they entered TDCJ.
• ✓ Encourage them to treat the handbook like a reference guide, not something to skim once and forget.
• ✓ Remind them that they’re responsible for following handbook rules and any posted policies at their unit - those expectations apply even when the facility feels new or confusing.
• ✓ If language is a barrier, tell your loved one to request the Spanish handbook if Spanish is their primary language.
• ✓ If they can’t read the rules or their primary language is neither English nor Spanish, tell them to ask staff to explain the rules as required.
• ✓ If a disability affects communication or understanding, encourage them to raise ADA-related accommodation needs during intake so it’s addressed early.

The handbook also includes regional office contact addresses. One example: TDCJ-CID Region V, 304 West 6th St., Plainview, Texas 79072. If you need to figure out which regional office oversees a unit after a transfer, this directory information is part of what the handbook provides.

The handbook includes unit and facility addresses too. For example, the Allred Unit is listed at 2101 FM 369 North, Iowa Park, TX 76367. Families often need addresses for mail or to confirm where someone has been assigned - the handbook's unit list is one place to find that information.

1. Confirm they got the handbook - TDCJ policy says offenders should receive the latest revised Offender Orientation Handbook when they enter.
2. Request the right language support early - If Spanish is their primary language, they should be given a Spanish handbook; if they can’t read the rules or their primary language is neither English nor Spanish, the rules are supposed to be explained to them.
3. Raise ADA needs during intake - The handbook’s intake topics include ADA; if an accommodation is needed, bring it up immediately so it can be addressed.
4. Write down key addresses - The handbook includes regional office addresses (for example, TDCJ-CID Region V in Plainview) and unit/facility addresses (for example, the Allred Unit listing).