Skyview Unit

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Skyview Unit is a coed state prison in Rusk, Texas, operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. It sits on 58 acres on Farm to Market Road 2972, just west of State Highway 69 North, and is located next to the Hodge Unit. The facility opened in July 1988 and has a capacity of 528 inmates, most living in dormitories. It houses mentally ill inmates, and guards assigned to Skyview receive special training. In 1999, most prisoners stayed about 20–60 days before returning to a general-purpose prison, though some stayed longer. Steve McVicker of the Dallas Observer said guards and prisoners at Skyview and Hodge seemed more relaxed than at other prisons. Skyview is air conditioned, which is uncommon for TDCJ facilities, so administrators sometimes turn away prisoners they suspect are faking mental illness. As of April 2020, there were 479 inmates.