TDCJ board approves FY 2026 operating budget, names Bobby Lumpkin next executive director and greenlights dorm, facility and contract actions

The Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Aug. 2025 approved the Texas Department of Criminal Justice27s proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget and a set of construction, purchase and contract items, and it appointed Bobby Lumpkin as the agency27s next executive director effective Sept. 1, 2025.

Board members said the budget and the projects address long-standing needs including staff pay, medical and mental-health capacity, facility repairs and new air-conditioned housing. The board approved the operating budget after an extensive line-by-line review with agency finance staff and follow-up discussion by members.

The approved operating plan incorporates major items the Legislature funded this session: targeted pay increases for correctional staff and parole officers; $118 million for air conditioning of beds; roughly $214.8 million for major repair and renovation projects; $301 million to construct 14 expansion dorms (5,600 beds); funding to reopen idled units; and $304.6 million to maintain inmate health care, officials said.

Ron Steffa, TDCJ chief financial officer, summarized the package to the board, calling the session27s appropriations "unprecedented" and listing capital, staffing and…