Recreation & Wellness
The Recreation program, overseen by the Special Programs and Populations Department promotes resident wellness through physical activity as well as serving as a viable management tool for facility administrators. Residents at each TDCJ and privately contracted facility are afforded the opportunity for prescribed amounts of daily out-of-cell recreation time commensurate with their custody level. Approved exercise equipment and supplies are provided and maintained in gymnasiums, on outdoor recreation yards and in a variety of special recreation areas designed for residents who are administratively segregated from other residents. Television viewing and table games are provided in housing area dayrooms. Residents are also allowed to engage in basic arts and crafts activities, read books and magazines that are provided for sedentary purposes, or listen to FM radio programming. Structured programs are also provided through intramurals, free world interaction through recreational activities and craft shop participation where crafts are sold for profit. Separate recreation plans are available to offenders at facilities for treatment or youthful offender programs.
Pertinent policies that relate to recreation
AD-03.40
Administrative Directive-03.40 "Out-of-Cell Time for General Population Offenders" provides a uniform set of standards, which defines organizational and administrative requirements relating to out-of-cell recreational time for offenders.
AD-07.33
Administrative Directive-07.33 "Organization, Administration and Responsibilities of the TDCJ Offender Recreation Program" outlines agency policies and procedures for the operation of unit/facility recreation programs for offenders. Recreation program activities shall be available on each TDCJ and contracted facility.
AD-14.58
Administrative Directive-14.58 "Deposit Procedures for the Unit Clearing Account" provide guidelines for handling any and all monies received on a facility, whether offender or employee related.
AD-14.59
Administrative Directive-14.59 "Offender Piddling and Craft Sales" was established to provide guidelines and procedures for managing facility offender craft shops and craft sales. Forms are not presently available through InfoPac, but can be found in the Recreations Directions Booklet for Correctional Staff and the Recreation Policy and Procedure Manual.
AD-14.60
Administrative Directive-14.60 "TDCJ Weekly Unit Craft Sales Report" outlines procedures for preparing the unit craft sales report used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. These procedures focus on the need for complete detail in collecting and recording data to prepare the craft sales report.
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