The rest were sent to landfills, stored in warehouses or sold for pennies on the dollar. About a third of the equipment that goes to TDCJ's program is unusable and scrapped. Agencies sending old equipment include the Comptroller's office, the Attorney General's office, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Sam Houston State University, the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and the Texas Water Development Board. Inmate training While the program extends the life of computers, it also provides training for inmates. Candidates for the program must have good disciplinary records, participate in vocational classes through the TDCJ's Windham School District and express a desire to acquire vocational skills.
Participants are usually two to five years from release.
They become certified computer technicians after completing the program. Lawmakers provided no additional money to TCI for the project. TDCJ will track the program's workers after their release. Like any computer maker, recovery program officials want to satisfy their customers. So far, they have.