The Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville first opened its doors on October 1, 1849. After the Civil War ended in 1865 with the Confederate defeat, a shortage of funds in Texas made it difficult to maintain the cost of housing and care for the Penitentiary. The Penitentiary began to lease its prisoners to the highest bidders of private individuals or companies for financial gain. The first leases began around 1867 when two railroad companies leased prisoners to contract parts of the new railroad system. These companies provided minimal clothing, shelter, and at times, starved their leased prisoners to save money. The Penitentiary itself was also in extremely poor conditions; it was consistently overcrowded and incredibly unhygienic, leading to rampant disease. | Source: [1]File:Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville Prison Yard in 1870s.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. n.d. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_State_Penitentiary_at_Huntsville_prison_yard_in_1870s.jpg.Download Original File
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[1]File:Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville Prison Yard in 1870s.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. n.d. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_State_Penitentiary_at_Huntsville_prison_yard_in_1870s.jpg.
