Texas closing Sugar Land prison as part of cutbacks

SUGAR LAND, TX Michelle Lyons with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told the Austin American-Statesman (http://bit.ly/n4g6uK) that the Central Unit in Sugar Land will be vacant by the end of the month.

Lyons says inmates have been relocating to other units. About 80 felons and 200 correctional officers remain on site -- working to move the prison system's soap factory to the Roach Unit in Childress and a prison trucking hub to the nearby Ramsey Unit.

Once the prison is vacant the Texas General Land Office will take over, handling an expected environmental assessment among other steps needed to put the 325-acre Central Unit site on the market for development -- through a sale or lease.