If you’re driving down Highway 1807, just a mile or so southeast of the small town of Venus, Texas, you’ll see it. The Sanders Estes Unit (often called the "Sandy" Estes Unit) sits on about 40 acres in Johnson County. It isn't just another building. It’s a place that has sparked a lot of questions for locals and families alike. Honestly, if you've ever Googled "Sanders Estes Venus TX," you’ve probably seen a mix of dry government stats and confusing news snippets.
People want to know what’s actually going on behind those concrete walls. Is it a high-security prison? Is it private? Why do people keep talking about a "business school" inside a jail? Let's get into the weeds of it.
The Identity Crisis: Private or State-Run?
For a long time, the Sanders Estes Unit was the poster child for private prison management in Texas. It opened back in 1989. For years, it was operated by Management and Training Corporation (MTC), a private company that handles correctional facilities. But things have changed recently.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has been shifting gears. In the 2026-2027 budget biennium, the state moved to bring the Estes Unit back under direct TDCJ staffing and operation. This is a big deal. It moves the facility away from the "for-profit" model that many critics have hammered for decades. Basically, the state decided they wanted more direct control over how things are run there.
The Numbers and the Walls
The facility isn't massive, but it’s not small either. It holds about 1,040 men.
It’s classified as a G1 and G2 custody level facility.
In plain English?
That means it houses minimum and medium-security inmates. You won't find Death Row here. Instead, you find guys who are often nearing the end of their sentences or who have shown they can handle a less restrictive environment. The structure itself is about 194,000 square feet of "tilt slab" concrete. It’s air-conditioned—which is a huge point of contention in Texas prisons right now—but the focus here is heavily on what happens inside the cells, not just the temperature.
The "Business School" Behind Bars
What really puts Sanders Estes on the map isn't the security—it's the programming. You might have heard of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP). This is where the "business" rumors come from.
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It's pretty wild. Imagine a group of men in prison uniforms pitching business plans to high-level CEOs from Dallas and Fort Worth. That actually happens here. PEP is one of the most famous re-entry programs in the country. They teach the guys everything from financial literacy to "servant leadership."
They call the participants "inmates" by law, but the program calls them "entrepreneurs."
The goal is simple: give them a way to make money honestly so they don't end up back in Venus or any other unit. I’ve seen reports of guys coming out of this program and launching landscaping businesses, tech startups, or trucking companies. It's not just "filler" time; it's an intensive, months-long gauntlet that ends with a graduation ceremony that feels more like a Harvard MBA commencement than a prison release.
Recovery Housing and Peer Support
As of late 2025 and into 2026, the unit has become a hub for the Recovery Housing Opportunity Program (RHOP). This is a relatively new shift in how Texas handles addiction behind bars. Instead of just "doing time," guys who are struggling with sobriety are grouped together.
The cool part? It’s led by "peer recovery coaches." These are other inmates who have "walked the walk."
- Accountability: You live with the people you're recovering with.
- Purpose: The coaches, like Julian Alejo who has shared his story publicly, find a sense of career and purpose before they even leave.
- Environment: The walls in these blocks are often covered in murals and messages of encouragement rather than just gray paint.
It’s a voluntary program. You have to want to be there. This isn't just about passing a drug test; it's about changing the culture of the unit from the bottom up.
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Life at 1100 Highway 1807
So, what is the day-to-day actually like? For the 191 or so employees—including about 134 security staff—it’s a balance of safety and education.
The unit offers more than just business classes. They have vocational training in:
- Building Trades: Learning how to actually construct stuff.
- Electrical Trades: Wiring and infrastructure.
- Culinary Arts: Working in food service (and they actually provide services to city and county agencies sometimes).
- Computer Technology: Necessary skills for the 2026 job market.
They even have a program called PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) where inmates work with animals. There’s something about a guy in a medium-security cell training a dog that just changes the energy of a place. It’s hard to stay "hard" when you’re responsible for a golden retriever’s behavior.
Why People Get Confused About Sanders Estes
The confusion usually stems from the name. You’ll see it called the "Estes Unit," "Sanders Estes," or "SECC."
Then there's the location. Venus is a tiny town that straddles Johnson and Ellis counties. It feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's close enough to the DFW Metroplex that it draws in a lot of volunteers for the faith-based dorms and the PEP program.
Also, the transition from MTC (private) back to TDCJ (state) has left a lot of old information on the web. If you're looking at a website from 2018, it’ll tell you it’s a private prison. If you look at the 2026 TDCJ directory, it’s listed under Region II as a state-operated pre-release facility. Keeping that straight is a nightmare if you aren't paying attention.
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Looking Ahead: The 2026 Landscape
The focus for Sanders Estes in 2026 is clearly on re-entry. The state is putting more money into the "2026-27 biennium" budget to maintain health care and mental health services here.
Is it perfect? No. It’s still prison. There are still audits for PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) compliance, and there are still the inherent tensions of a correctional environment. But compared to some of the "max" units in East Texas, Estes is seen as a place of opportunity.
If you have a loved one there, the focus should be on the programs. Encourage them to get into PEP or the building trades. That’s the "secret sauce" of this specific unit.
Practical Steps for Families
- Check the Roster: Use the TDCJ online offender search to confirm their status, as units can change classifications.
- Vetting Programs: If your family member is at Estes, ask if they've applied for the Entrepreneurship Program or RHOP. These are the "golden tickets" for success post-release.
- Visitation: Since it's near Midlothian and Venus, it's accessible from Highway 67. Always check the TDCJ "Unit Directory" for current weekend visiting hours before making the drive.
The Sanders Estes Unit isn't just a point on a map in Venus, TX. It's a complex ecosystem trying to prove that you can actually change the "business" of being an inmate into the business of being a citizen.
Next Steps for You
If you are looking for more specific information on a resident, your next move should be to use the TDCJ Inmate Information Search with their full name or TDCJ number. To get involved with the programs mentioned, you can look into volunteering through the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) website, which frequently hosts "pitch days" where the public can visit the unit and mentor participants.