The number of prisoners across the country has increased dramatically throughout the 1980s. Texas is one state that has felt the strain of prisoner population pressures. To keep abreast of demand, more state prison units were built. However, new prisons were soon filled to capacity. This situation forced policymakers to implement a population cap and an allocation formula. To keep the prisoner population within the cap, prisoners were released early and time served declined rapidly over the course of the 1980s. These latter consequences severely affected the ability of the Windham School System to deliver prison education programs. The data showed that one in seven inmates was released prior to taking a vocational certification test. Various policy options are then explored.
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