Facilities: 
When entering the tranquil 57 acre campus nestled in the Sam Houston National Forest your first vision is of the GCTC Administration Building. This 10,000 square foot structure provides offices for the following departments and personnel:
- Accounting
- Admissions
- Human Resources (HR)
- Office of Contractual Compliance (OCC)
- Parole
- President
- Reception
- Vice President of Residential Services
The Family/Life/Visitor Center is one of the most exciting buildings on the entire campus. This building is used for many of the events held at the Center such as graduation. Several times a year the facility is used by outside organizations to host banquets and meetings. The Family/Life/Visitor Center offices the following departments and personnel:
- Counselors
- Information Technology (IT)
- Residential Services
- Social Services (Caseworkers)
At the north side of the building you will find Social Services and IT Departments. The south side is used for Residential Department Managers and Supervisors along with the Counselor.
The Saturday visitation is one of the most important events at Gulf Coast Trades Center. The wide open space located in the center of the building is the perfect place for families to set, talk, catch up and work on keeping the lines of communication open among their family unit.
The newly built gymnasium is the pride of the entire recreation department. A state of the art basketball court is used to host many tournaments throughout the year, while adding hours of recreational pleasure for the students on a daily basis. Located in the gym you will also find weight and workout rooms and a video game room that can be utilized by over 30 students simultaneously.
Basketball is not the recreation of choice for all students, keeping this in mind Gulf Coast Trades Center also has the following available, an Olympic size swimming pool, a volleyball court, as well as a football and baseball fields.
There are currently eight dormitories for the students. This spacious living area allows each student to have his/her own bed and wall locker. A restroom is located on each side of the dorm to avoid overcrowding and add additional privacy. Each dormitory is equipped with books, games, and TV's for use during evenings and weekends.
The vocational training class area stretches down two sides of the property located at the south end of the campus. The shops are large enough to hold the entire class, an instructor and all the training material while still small enough to have one on one attention and instruction.
The Medical Department has an infirmary which is used for students who find themselves under the weather. If a participant in the program is ill and unable to attend class for any reason under the direction of a physician he/she may rest comfortably on one of the many beds in this area. A nurse's station is adjacent to the infirmary should a professional medical staff be needed.
The cafeteria is the place to be three times a day. With more than 65,000 meals being served a year. The facility which was completed in 1982 will comfortably set 200 people at one time. The kitchen is separated from the dinning area by a serving line which consists of a covered salad bar and built in steam tables.