By Olivia Discon
As part of the three-day conference for the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism, Cynthia Boyd and I joined Sarie Fuller, Dr. Audrey Murfin, SHSU graduate students, and Professor Doran Larson on a tour of the Walls Unit of Huntsville. Our tour had a uniquely symbolic start, as we witnessed a person now free from their incarceration be released from the very doors we were about to enter.
After stepping through the golden gates (actually Bronze doors), Assistant Warden Castleberry led us through the historic East Wing of the prison; three stories of old holding cells, ceilings cast with a thick layer of precious copper, and even some commissioned items awaiting delivery from the prison’s craft shop. We all gazed in wonder at the structure, while learning of the prison’s past. This wing of the Huntsville Unit hosts a myriad of infamy: inspiring films like The Life of David Gale and A Perfect World, as well as personalities such as Clyde Barrow, Chief Satanta and John Wesley Hardin spending time in the prison. What surprised me personally was in plain sight: an unassuming, painted-over dent in the wall was once the entrance to the old Death Row, where Old Sparky was famously housed.
We were then taken to the Death Row Chamber, where we were briefly informed of the process of one being condemned to execution. This part of the tour was exceedingly sobering (and profound) to all in attendance. Entering the green painted execution chamber, we gathered around the leather-strapped gurney to discuss the intricate rules and legislative oversight that goes into such an important operation. Touching up the paint, replacing broken equipment, and permitting those presiding over the execution requires approval from the legislature to ensure proper conditions for each incarcerated person are being met.
Having the opportunity to visit the most frequented execution chamber in the United States was both demanding and captivating for everyone who went on the tour. As conversations on carceral reform continue in both the NASSR Conference and our current legislative session, this firsthand experience was necessary and humbling.
Many thanks to Professor Yawn and former TDCJ Director Wayne Scott for organizing this tour!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 