Over 140 Inmates Have Died at This Amarillo Prison Since 2017

Amarillo has a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Prison (TDCJ), a men's prison located at 9601 Spur 591. The William B. Clements Unit opened in 1990 and is named after the former governor of Texas.

Headlines About the William B. Clements Unit

Over the last few months, the Clements Unit has been in the news. In April 2025, a former corrections officer was sentenced for smuggling meth into the prison. In August 2025, a former Clements correctional officer and another guard were convicted of drug smuggling into the prison.

Read More: Infamous Criminals Who Did Time at Amarillo's Clements Unit

Recent Arrests and Investigations at the Clements Unit

Just recently, two correctional officers were arrested for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after they reportedly failed to render aid to an inmate who set fire to his cell and later died.

Inmate Death Statistics in Amarillo

The Office of the Attorney General lists all the custodial deaths that have occurred in jails and prisons across Texas, and that includes the TDCJ facilities.  Looking at the William B. Clements Unit, it was found that as of October 1, 2025, over 140 inmates have died at the facility since 2017.

While deaths do occur in prison, most are from natural causes, but others result from violence, accidents, or overdoses. The cause of death for some inmates is never found or revealed.

Read More: Texas is Home to Two of the Worst Prisons in the U.S.

As one of Amarillo’s largest employers, the Clements Unit continues to face challenges similar to those seen in prisons across Texas.