By Jason Renard Walker 

The Texas Department Of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) will include a new rule to their TDCJ disciplinary rule book that should raise the public’s concern and scrutiny. The fact that this practice has been ongoing for years, yet their own wording says the rule isn’t enforceable for several more weeks, is suspicious. 

On December 1 2024 disciplinary rule “14.0- use or possession of any intoxicants/ and or unknown substances” will go into effect. How this new rule serves any penological objective or institutional goal is not clear. What is clear is that TDCJ, as an entity, is attempting to justify the past abuse of their undocumented scheme of charging inmates with being high on K2 without drug testing them to prove that they are. 

Within this rule, details of how it can be enforced states “This includes the use or possession of tobacco products, an unknown substance, and/or an unknown substance which results in altered behavior and or appearance, including the loss of the normal use of mental and physical faculties”

The wording within the new rule is the key component to justifying the use of this scheme, which is typically aimed at certain prisoners on a basis personal to the staff member, but vindictive and retaliatory in nature. Now that this new rule is in effect, staff no longer have to falsely document that the prisoner was high on K2, or explain why the prisoner wasn’t drug tested. They can simply default to it being an unknown substance to justify charging those who test negative for being high, while using someone having a seizure or under medical distress as an excuse to enforce the rule arbitrarily. 

Ryan Patrick Coats is a former Powledge unit prisoner who is one of many that fell victim to this scheme. On September 10 2024 lieutenant Crist approached him while he was enjoying recreation at the trusty camp. Crist questioned him about his watery red eyes and why he was favoring his leg. His explanation of getting a leg cramp from working out wasn’t good enough. Crist reached into his shirt pocket to retrieve his ID card and found two pieces of toilet paper wrapping that coats said he uses for drawing. 

Coats was hand cuffed and taken to the infirmary where medical staff cleared him of being intoxicated. Crist denied his request to be drug tested, nor did he or his property get searched before he was placed in lockup, which shows the lack of interest staff had in if he possessed any drugs or was actually high. 

Coats ultimately received a disciplinary for being in possession of K2, was found guilty, and shipped to a maximum security prison. Crist told the disciplinary hearing officer that she tested the paper, it tested positive for K2 and she threw the paper away. The problem with this story is that any drugs confiscated by staff is supposed to be turned over to the OIG as evidence for possible prosecution. All Crist submitted to the disciplinary hearing officer was a copy of a report she filled out saying it tested positive, with a photo of the pieces of paper. 

“I know of 2 inmates who were accused of being high come to lockup and then get G4 and got transferred already. Another inmate from the camp who already made parole got an F12 and who was accused of being high is here now in lock up and got G4 and his parole taken. There are at least 8 in lock up for being accused of being under the influence but yet no drug tests. I am one of them” Coats explained in a lengthy eight page note he sent me. Coats also mentioned that he felt Crist was retaliating against him for her past failed attempts to get him removed from the trusty camp.

 Coats’s case raises this question: if the rule is new, why is the punishment old? 

Jason Renard Walker 1532092

Powledge Unit 

P.O. Box 660400 

Dallas, Tx 75266