[1] Some of the archival material included written messages to and from Texas prison administrators George Beto and Pete Coffield, some of which later went on display at the Sam Houston State University George Beto Collection.
Robert M. Worley of Lamar University wrote that the correspondence was "[o]ne of the joys of reading" the book.
[2] Worley wrote that Convict Cowboys is "one of the finest academic books I have read within the past several years, and I am delighted to recommend it to others.
[3] He added that the book "is likely to resonate with scholars who are both critical and supportive of the mass incarceration movement.
"[3] Paul M. Lucko of Murray State University wrote that the book is "nicely written, thoroughly researched, sometimes humorous, and yet serious" and that it has an "entertaining narrative with a penetrating analysis".