Inspector James Knox Polk Campbell was sent by Texas Governor Richard Coke to investigate the reports of abuse and neglect occurring at the Huntsville prison and its surrounding areas. He wrote of the malnutrition prisoners were subjugated too, as well as unlivable conditions, lack of healthcare, and brutal beatings conducted by staff at the prison and parties of the private companies and individuals the prisoners had been leased to. J.K.P found the prison to violate the law and returned to the capital with his findings. His investigation led the State to terminate the leasing contracts it had with the Penitentiary, returning ownership directly to the state. | Source: [1]Commission, Texas State Library and Archives. Fear, Force, and Leather: The Texas State Prison’s First Hundred Years, 1848-1948, 2010.Download Original File
Source
[1]Commission, Texas State Library and Archives. Fear, Force, and Leather: The Texas State Prison’s First Hundred Years, 1848-1948, 2010.
