Locate Hodge Unit Inmates

Hodge Unit Prison Overview

Jerry H. Hodge Unit is operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division. It is a state prison unit in Rusk, Cherokee County, and its official unit code is 075. TDCJ identifies Hodge as a male facility with G1, G2, and Developmentally Disabled custody levels. Its core identity is state-prison custody and treatment, including Developmental Disabilities Program assignments and sex-offender treatment and education programs.

This unit is not a county jail. A person arrested in Cherokee County may begin at Cherokee County Jail, but a sentenced Texas prisoner assigned to Hodge is searched through TDCJ. Once a person moves into state custody, county jail staff may not have the current housing, visitation, release, or program detail. Use TDCJ's locator first, then confirm with the unit before travel.

The official TDCJ Hodge Unit page is the image source for this facility record and program summary.

The TDCJ source is important because it supplies the unit's capacity, custody levels, accreditation, staff counts, medical capabilities, and program list.

Hodge Unit Capacity

TDCJ publishes a capacity of 989 for Jerry H. Hodge Unit. The same official page lists the unit as ACA Accredited since August 2008 and says the unit came on line in March 1995. Hodge is co-located with Skyview Unit on 58 acres, with an additional 92 leased acres tied to the Rusk prison complex. These numbers are TDCJ prison figures, not Cherokee County Jail capacity.

Staffing on the official page is also specific: 333 total employees, including 257 security staff, 40 non-security staff, 11 Windham Education employees, 3 contract medical employees, and 22 mental-health employees. Published staff counts can change, so use them as facility context rather than a real-time population count.

Hodge Unit Inmate Search

Search Hodge through the TDCJ Inmate Information Search, not through a Cherokee County Jail roster or VINELink alone. TDCJ says the online service includes only people currently incarcerated in a TDCJ facility, is updated on working days, and is at least 24 hours old. That delay is normal for the state locator.

The minimum name search uses last name plus at least a first initial. A TDCJ number or SID number can be used instead of a name. Gender and race filters can narrow results, but a prison assignment should be confirmed from the profile and, when a visit or pickup is involved, by calling the unit.

1. Open the TDCJ Inmate Information Search.
2. Enter a TDCJ number, SID number, or last name with at least the first initial.
3. Review the result for current TDCJ custody and the assigned unit.
4. Confirm Hodge Unit placement with the unit before traveling for visitation or release pickup.

Hodge Unit Contact

Hodge and Skyview share the same published street address and unit phone in Rusk. The TDCJ Hodge page lists Senior Warden Larry Berger, Regional Director Anthony Newton for Region II, Deputy Division Director Lonnie "L.E." Townsend, and Division Director Eric Guerrero. Leadership names can change, but they were present in the inspected official source.

Use the unit phone for state-prison visit questions, pickup confirmation, and facility-specific instructions. Use the TDCJ locator for inmate assignment first. Use Cherokee County Jail only for local pretrial custody or a person who has not moved into TDCJ.

Hodge Unit Visitation

Hodge visitation follows TDCJ visitation policy, not Cherokee County Jail rules. State-prison visits generally require the inmate to be in TDCJ custody and assigned to the unit, and visitors should use TDCJ resources for eligibility, scheduling, identification, dress, and conduct rules. The unit page also lists a Family Visitation Center among volunteer initiatives, which should be treated as a TDCJ prison resource.

TDCJ's own inmate-search notice warns relatives to call the unit before going to pick up an inmate. The same practical rule applies before a long visit. Unit assignment, medical status, security status, disciplinary restrictions, lockdowns, and schedule changes can affect whether a visit happens.

Hodge Unit Mail Money

Mail, phone, and deposits for Hodge should follow TDCJ offender information resources and any unit-specific directions. Do not use Cherokee County Jail's JailATM or Sterling kiosk for a Hodge inmate unless TDCJ specifically directs that, which the research did not show. County jail trust accounts and state-prison trust systems are separate.

Before sending mail or money, confirm the inmate's TDCJ number, current unit, and required address format. A person can be transferred between TDCJ units, and stale unit information can delay or return mail. Phone access and approved contact rules also come from TDCJ, not the sheriff's office.

Hodge Unit Admission

Hodge is a state-prison assignment point, so its intake context differs from street-arrest booking at the county jail. A Cherokee County arrestee may start at the local jail, appear before a magistrate, proceed through court, and later receive a TDCJ sentence. After state intake and classification, TDCJ assigns the person to a unit based on custody level, treatment needs, medical needs, bed space, and program factors.

Hodge's published custody levels are G1, G2, and Developmentally Disabled. G-levels are TDCJ custody classifications, while the Developmental Disabilities Program reflects treatment and support needs. If a family member cannot find someone in the TDCJ locator soon after sentencing, the person may still be in county jail, in state intake, or not yet updated in the working-day locator feed.

Hodge Unit Programs

Hodge has a more specialized official program profile than many county custody pages. TDCJ lists the Developmental Disabilities Program, Sex Offender Treatment Program, and Sex Offender Education Program. It also lists education and career programs through literacy, ABE/GED, Special Education/Adaptive Skills, CHANGES/Pre-Release, ESL, Cognitive Intervention, Custodial Technician, Landscape Design/Construction/Maintenance, and Restaurant Management.

Medical capabilities include ambulatory medical, dental, and mental-health services, with medical care available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The source also lists CPAP accommodating housing and UTMB management. Additional programs include adult education when available, chaplaincy, faith-based dormitory, GO KIDS, reentry planning, community work projects, substance abuse education, support groups, mentoring, religious activities, and a Family Visitation Center.

Hodge Unit Records

Hodge inmate records come from TDCJ, not from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. The county can be relevant to a person's earlier arrest or court case, but TDCJ controls the prison locator, unit assignment, custody status, and most current state-prison family-contact rules. VINELink may help with custody notification, but it should not be treated as the sole source for TDCJ facility detail.

For a person who may be in federal or immigration custody instead, use the BOP Inmate Locator for sentenced federal custody or ICE ODLS for immigration detention. Those systems are separate from Hodge, from Cherokee County Jail, and from TDCJ.