Winter 2024

Serving the Community

Giving back to the community is what the inmates of the French M. Robertson Unit have been inspired to do. Watching the administration stand on the unofficial motto, “It takes all of us” has impacted the inmates at this unit and their family members. Families are afforded the opportunity to witness, as well as be a part of, the rehabilitative process and in giving back to the community.

Helping the community is about more than change, it’s about transformation. Transformation is about giving someone the opportunity to embrace their life purpose and help the community thrive.

One of the ways inmates here have given back is by collecting aluminum tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. There are multiple stations around the unit where tabs are collected weekly and then taken to the Hendricks Children’s Hospital in Abilene, Texas. Another way the unit community has contributed is through a food drive where over 1,500 packages of ramen noodle soup were collected for the Battered Women and Children Center. Their newest project is a shoe drive for local children. We will continue to be a helping force during times of need by serving the community.

Connecting Families

The Robertson Unit is also serving families of those incarcerated. Family is one of the greatest gifts in this world. It creates a fountain of love, strength and stability; helping to build character, but most importantly it reassures us of where we belong. There is power in connecting families!

The unit does this through social and family events such as hosting the annual Self-Harm Prevention Friends and Family Appreciation Program, which is now in its second year. Family members are invited for a full day of celebrations to see firsthand the transformation that has taken place in their loved ones and to partake in priceless moments that will become cherished reminders of being connected as a family.

Another event, One Day with God, allows fathers to spend time with their children, ask for forgiveness and create a new start by rebuilding a relationship with them. The church service has a family day of worship where they spend time together praising the Lord and learning about the importance of family. There is also a Craft Shop Family Day where family members come in to witness the new skills their loved ones have learned because of their support.

The unit has also connected families through growth and development classes, such as Life Skills, Men of Distinction, Mentorship, and Toastmasters. These classes address the urgent issues of rehabilitation by shaping the framework for success. True success is transforming lives and rebuilding relationships. Families have the opportunities to attend graduations, encourage inmates on their path to rehabilitation, provide love and support, and stand in agreement with the transformation process that is encouraged through TDCJ programs.

Incentive Program

The Robertson Unit incentive program is designed to bring behavioral change, thus improving the environment for staff and inmates. It provides an understanding that when rules and regulations set by administration are followed, behavior is rewarded and lessons are learned throughout the process. Those lessons being, accepting responsibility for one’s choices and actions, teaching stewardship and properly navigating social interactions. All of which are skills that will not only benefit the inmates while incarcerated, but will correspond with life upon release.

The TVs and DVD players in the inmate’s incentive dorms have been upgraded to newer models, and transmitters provide a better audio experience through the radio app on their tablets. The program rotates movies through a predetermined schedule weekly. Overall, the goal is to cultivate a healthy lifestyle which provides stability, structure and most importantly rehabilitation.

The support from TDCJ leadership, unit staff, inmates and families is what allows the Robertson Unit to serve its communities inside and outside the fences.

“Most of all, the support from Mr. Jerry Sanchez, the staff, my administration team, the residents, and the family support are what drive our facility to succeed.  I am proud to walk beside each of them! They all make it happen. Thank you for all you do.”
– Warden Cozby