Sunday, July 29, 2012

Juvenile Justice Roundup: Appeals uncommon in Texas juvie cases, and other stories

Several recent juvenile justice related stories merit Grits readers' attention:
The Statesman story by Mike Ward mentioned that, "On Friday, the agency will ... [hold] a public hearing in Austin to discuss the newly opened facility in Mart, near Waco, intended to house the most violent and chronic troublemakers."

See a new report (pdf) from TJJD assessing Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs at Texas school districts.

See also, via CrimProf Blog, a new academic paper, Juvenile Justice on Appeal, assessing juvenile appellate procedures, including in Texas. The Lone Star State gets high marks for disallowing waivers of the right to counsel when juveniles are charged as adults. However, juveniles in Texas do not have access to habeas corpus, the article notes (footnote 82) because they're considered civil instead of criminal cases. (See correction/clarification below.) Nationally and in Texas, juvenile appeals are rare. In 2010, said the article, just 52 Texas juvenile cases - only .26% of total juvie adjudications - resulted in some sort of appeal. Florida had the highest rate of juvenile appeals, with appellate proceedings in roughly 2% of cases.

UPDATE/CORRECTION: A commenter rightly pointed out that, "The statement that juvenile defendants do not have access to habeas corpus relief is incorrect. Although a juvenile defendant cannot seek habeas relief through Chapter 11 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure since juvenile adjudications are deemed civil, a juvenile defendant can seek habeas corpus relief through a writ under article V section 8 of the Texas Constitution. A denied article V section 8 writ can be appealed to the intermediate court of appeals." A quick Google check confirmed that and I apologize for the error. The law review article linked above said the habeas statutes in the Code of Criminal Procedure did not cover juveniles, but did not mention they retain habeas rights under Art. 5 Sec. 8 of the Texas Constitution.

Thanks to the commenter for the correction, which itself raises some interesting questions. In particular, I found the comment notable that a "writ can be appealed to the intermediate court of appeals." Here's a link to the governing opinion from the Court of Criminal Appeals, Ex Parte Valle, which held the habeas rules under the Code of Criminal Procedure don't apply but a constitutional right still exists. The opinion concluded, "Although we express no opinion on the matter, we notice that a court of civil appeals held that it had appellate jurisdiction of an appeal from a habeas corpus proceeding in which the validity of an adjudication of delinquency was challenged but upheld, and that several courts of appeals have entertained appeals when writs of habeas corpus were issued by district courts on the application of juveniles accused of delinquent conduct." So could a juvenile habeas writ be appealed to the Texas Supreme Court? ¿Quien sabe? For adults, habeas writs are only final when the Court of Criminal Appeals rules on them. The habeas process for juveniles appears more muddy.

Further, it does appear the lack of access to the statutory habeas rights in the Code of Criminal Procedure in some ways functionally restricts juvenile access to the Great Writ. For example, in 2006 an appellate court (see here) ruled that a juvenile did not have a right to counsel to assist him in filing a motion for post-conviction DNA testing under Chapter 64 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, though an adult would have such a right. This is the statutory vehicle through which so many of Texas' DNA exonerations have occurred since it was added to the code in 2001. If the defendant had been an adult at the time of conviction, Chapter 64 would require that "The convicting court shall appoint counsel for the convicted person if the person informs the court that the person wishes to submit a motion under this chapter." Grits has never before had occasion to consider the question of habeas corpus for juveniles, but it's an interesting one.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

This agency can lock em all up at Mart Tx, but it will not change a thing until they get new leadership in the executive branch.

Townsend did leave but she left with all of her upper management in place. Do you really believe things will change?

Anonymous said...

Beat-downs of staff were allowed at Giddings? How long was this practice allowed? Who was running Giddings and who allowed this?

GIDDINGS — When 14 youths at the Giddings State School refused to go to bed at 10 p.m. July 21, then became unruly and began tearing up their dorm, guards doused them with pepper spray and hauled them off to a detention area.
Last Monday, two youths already in detention at Giddings beat up a caseworker, who was rushed to a hospital for evaluation. They were marched back to their rooms and by Thursday were headed to a recently opened, higher security lockup near Waco.
Just a few months ago, those same youths might have cooled their heels in a detention cell for a short period, then gone back to their dorms with minimal restrictions, staff members said.

And this:
"Texas wanted to get it right, but the programs never worked like they should have," said Kyra Phillips of Houston, whose son was released from the juvenile system in 2010, only to soon face new aggravated kidnapping charges, which landed him a 15-year sentence in an adult prison.
"He only got worse. The kids were in charge, and they knew it. There were no consequences. That was the problem."
During his time with the agency, Phillips said, her son was involved in five "beat-downs" on staffers and other youths, including at least one incident at Giddings. He also joined a gang.

RAS said...

Where was the scalpel mantality in 07? Whitmire was the architech in 07 but talks like he is disgusted with the ones that screwed up in 07.

Anonymous said...

"Texas wanted to get it right, but the programs never worked like they should have," said Kyra Phillips of Houston, whose son was released from the juvenile system in 2010, only to soon face new aggravated kidnapping charges, which landed him a 15-year sentence in an adult prison.
"He only got worse. The kids were in charge, and they knew it. There were no consequences. That was the problem."
During his time with the agency, Phillips said, her son was involved in five "beat-downs" on staffers and other youths, including at least one incident at Giddings. He also joined a gang.


I understand. This woman's son is charged with Agg Kidnapping after he is released from the juvenile system and it's TYC's/TJJD's fault. Gotcha.

And how is it that the vast majority of youth can enter and leave these facilities and never participate in a "beat-down", but yet the system failed this woman's son?

Accountability and responsibility - get some.

Anonymous said...

Senator Whitmire’s intentions were never to rehabilitate TYC/TJJD. His intention is and has always been to dismantle the agency piece by piece so there will be no other alternative but to send delinquent youth to adult prisons. He (Whitmire) has done a complete 180; from providing delinquent youth with treatment services in their counties of origin to locking them up and sending them to adult prison. It was Whitmire and Madden that placed their cronies in charge of TYC after the sex abuse scandal and instructed them to throw away the Resocialization treatment model which is an internationally respected and successful program, and develop an alternative. Well it is what it is, a disaster. I imagine those individuals that were deceived by Whitmire and Madden, are probably feeling betrayed and foolish. Let us not forget Whitmire’s use of Mike Ward’s Yellow Journalism to spin his web of deception.

Anonymous said...

5;35 You saying that Whitmire let them set up that Conextions programs knowing that it wouldn't work just so he could send them boys to prison? You sayin he turned over the keys so to speak to those boys and let them whoop and stomp and run hogwild so to speak so he could send them up. And he let this go on for years and years just so he could send them? Is that what you saying? If so what kind of cat is Whitmire? I don't believe it.

Anonymous said...

tjjd problem= James D. Smith

Anonymous said...

TJJD’s problem is the need of an intensive treatment program for youth that includes the following components. Youth’s need to be provided formal group therapy at least 5 times weekly conducted by highly qualified group leaders to address treatment issues. In addition, behavior groups shall be called as need to address behavior problems that may occur. Students must be taught how to identify behavior patterns and thinking errors (cognitive distortions) that result in poor decisions and delinquent behavior. The development of empathy for other people has to be a major objective of our youth. They have to be provided with appropriate problem solving skills. Social skills training and develop is another useful tool for youth assigned to TJJD. Discipline and immediate consequences for misbehavior is one of the cornerstones for rehabilitation of delinquent youth that hopefully will prevent the need for referral to the Adult Correctional System. Also, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior is beneficial for all kids. Youth’s require meaningful educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities. We all must understand the importance of good nutrition and medical care for the children in our care. Staff has to be appropriately trained to deal with this difficult population. It is critical that families and volunteer services are involved in the youths programming. Appropriate supervision and support is needed from supervisors and administrators to help staff successfully accomplish the mission of our agency. The aforementioned were major therapeutic interventions when TYC was recognized internationally for its programming in the juvenile justice field.

Anonymous said...

It's not just James Smith, every Director still in place is at fault. Townsend was in charge but they did her bidding without saying a word. Last time I looked their still in these same positions

Anonymous said...

The statement that juvenile defendants do not have access to habeas corpus relief is incorrect. Although a juvenile defendant cannot seek habeas relief through Chapter 11 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure since juvenile adjudications are deemed civil, a juvenile defendant can seek habeas corpus relief through a writ under article V section 8 of the Texas Constitution. A denied article V section 8 writ can be appealed to the intermediate court of appeals.

Anonymous said...

The steady downward spiral of the juvenile justice system began back in 1984 when the Legislature tipped over the first domino by eliminating detention of juveniles in designated and separate juvenile cells at local county and municipal jails across the state and taking away the discretion of local law enforcement to decide when a kid needed to be locked up. Back then most juvenile offenders who experienced the shock of that first night in jail were unlikely to be repeat offenders. That initial reform back then with the many other kinder and gentler reforms over the years discouraged the detention of any juvenile and gradually evolved to the broken system we have today where only the worst of the worst actually face detention and only then after committing egregious and violent crimes. There are too many thugs on the streets who know there is nothing the police can do with them and that they will never face real punishment or consequences because they are juveniles. Now we have the implosion of the system and the descent of the juvenile lockups into total anarchy to the point where aspiring hard core criminals are kicking the staff's ass and running the joint. Most kids that might benefit from therapy and counseling never see the inside of a juvenile detention facility. The reason the State has lost control is the same reason that many school systems have lost control, kids who have no fear of consequences will never respect anyone or anything. There can be no discipline or deterrent without real punishment.

Anonymous said...

The irony is the only thing the advocates accomplished in all their bitching to the lege and Mike Ward about how awful TYC/TJJD is that more youth will be sent to TDCJ.

Anonymous said...

Send em them! I just worked a 12 hour shift, and I'm tired! We've had major disruptions every week for a month straight! Lack of staff and lack of policy is to blame at most facilities! Y'all are correct, it starts at the top, but, then it goes all the way to the retarded ignorant staff most "good staff", have to put up with on a daily basis! It's hard to fire people that work for the State! So what ya got left is, well people that don't give a damn! The Youth are in and out, hardened young criminals that all act the same, most are not educated and have lived a hard rough short life! No excuses, trust me, they give me headaches everyday, but until Supervisors and CO can get a grip, it's gonna be all screwed up for us worn out JCOs! Just speaking the truth! Messed up agency, I deal with it everyday, and it's a job that is way underestimated! It's not gonna change unless there is major laws and a redirect of the way these Youth are treated and incarcerated! I tell em all the time, "man they treat this place like a jail!"!!! Lol They look at me and smile, and know, it's not anything like prison! These kids are not gonna change, they keep coming! It's the Agency and State of Texas that will have to change, to insure proper treatment and hopefully one day, make some of these JCOs with heart and pride....smile! That day is a dream, I understand, but atleast we can dream! State of Texas will have to man up one day, if not this Agency is in trouble, and has been for along time!

Anonymous said...

TJJD’s problem is the need of an intensive treatment program for youth that includes the following components. Youth need to be provided formal group therapy at least 5 times weekly conducted by highly qualified group leaders to address treatment issues. In addition, behavior groups shall be called as needed to address behavior problems that may occur. Students must be taught how to identify behavior patterns and thinking errors (cognitive distortions) that result in poor decisions and delinquent behavior. The development of empathy for other people has to be a major objective for our youth. They have to be provided with appropriate problem solving skills. Social skills training and development is another useful tool for youth assigned to TJJD. Discipline and immediate consequences for misbehavior is one of the cornerstones for rehabilitation of delinquent youth, that hopefully will prevent the need for referral to the Adult Correctional System. Also, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior is beneficial for all kids. Youths require meaningful educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities. We all must understand the importance of good nutrition and medical care for the children in our care. Staff has to be appropriately trained to deal with this difficult population. It is critical that families and volunteer services are involved in the youths programming. Appropriate supervision and support is needed from supervisors and administrators to help staff successfully accomplish the mission of our agency. The aforementioned were major therapeutic interventions when TYC was recognized internationally for its programming in the juvenile justice field.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

"the only thing the advocates accomplished in all their bitching to the lege and Mike Ward about how awful TYC/TJJD is that more youth will be sent to TDCJ."

You know, there's an irony to how screwed up everyone here thinks the juvenile justice system is: Yes, security at the facilities is important. IMO the biggest issues are staffing - numbers and training - and the failure to ever adequately replace the Resocializatin program.

But at the same time, juvie crime is plummeting despite locking up about a third as many youth as five years ago. And juvie probation is working well by any measure. Townsend gets blamed for a lot, but she's gone now so you'll have to find another scapegoat. Anyway, y'all complained about ALL the same problems, with the same hyperbolic rhetoric ("descending into anarchy," etc) long before she got there. I could point to many old comment strings with Anons making virtually identical allegations against every past ED since Dwight Harris.

Anonymous said...

Well I guess we will take the Obama model, where he still blames Bush for this miserable recession 3 years down the road!
But to be quite fair and honest, Townsend did cause this to occur. I guess you actually had to work here to fully understand that.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

"Townsend did cause this to occur"

Whatever "this" is. If by "this" you mean youth assaulting staff or one another, those complaints aren't new, and the causes have more to do with staffing levels (e.g., the anon above writing after a 12 hour shift). The Legislature chose not to follow expert advice to move to smaller, better-staffed facilities based on national best practices, sticking with the same facility structure that failed so spectacularly in 2007. Building on the same foundation, it's hard not to expect similar results. And they got 'em. But legislators never blame themselves for the problems they cause, so the shit, as always, flows downhill.

Anonymous said...

"If" Townsend and her crew put in place an effective treatment model that actually had consequnces, "this" would not be as bad as it has become. I am not advoacting corporal punishment, but rather logical consequnces when a youth assaults another peer or staff. This never did occur under her leadership, seeing how I worked for this agency for 15 years I can honestly can attest to this fact. And I would agree that smaller facilities would work better but that will never occur.

Anonymous said...

There have been plans written up about placing smaller facilities in settings closer to home counties but it never flourished. While Missouri might be a model they don't incarcerate the sever type of referrals that Texas does. They commit them to adult facilities. All violent felony referrals go to adult type of facilities. The county departments already handle most non-violent offenders anyhow so why mention Missouri? IMO send the 3G offenders to TDCJ and allow the county departments to keep the others but give them the money to treat them. I am tired of the violent ones. I have to watch my back all the time. Jay is making a big difference and for the board members that don't think so..... get out here and do it yourself for 1 week. YOU CAN"T DO IT!!!!!

Anonymous said...

01:40:00 AM sounds like one of those who is living in a state house right outside the fence. He has been rewarded by the Super for so many years. Rewarded for what? We don't want to ask. We don't even want to think about it.

Anonymous said...

All TJJD needs to do is institute a program that ensures the kids are given the opportunity to get the help they need. They will be expected to drink if led to this water, but if they choose NOT to they will NOT be shown any sympathy if they complain of thirst.

Responsibility and accountability on the part of staff and kids to do the right thing would solve a lot of TJJD's problems, but no one seems to have the courage for either. Not the folks involved, nor the legislators, nor the citizens of Texas... so what can one expect? That the kids will all have an epiphany and say to themselves "Gee!! I need to get my act together!"

I think not.

Jco Burned out. said...

TJJD has totally ignored the facts. For years and years they have done just that. The past programs worked very well. Peer Pressure works and still works today. If one youth acts out then everyone on the dorm is responsible and part of the issue. It worked well and youth actually held other youth accountable. Anything above that they ended up in security for it. Any major thing was sitting in security for days or weeks instead of todays "Send them Right Back." program. The plain fact that Townsend let things go the way she did allowed the Middle managment to completely disapear and not help the regular JCO's. When you remove a complete layer of managment and leave the JCO's with no support it's not hard to see what is happening. For the past four years the JCO 6's have been AFK from the dorms and helping the staff! To this day they still don't hold dorms or back up the JCO's when they need them. JCO's are leaving TJJD in record numbers and its easy to see why!

Anonymous said...

Here guys... listen to this burned out JCO... and RISE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGIY5Vyj4YM

Anonymous said...

Grits for Breakfast I really enjoy your expert commentary and knowledge regarding TYC/TJJD. I have several questions that I haven’t been able to find answers for. Hopefully, you can answer my questions. What happened to those two administrators that were accused and charged with sexual misconduct in the 2007 sex abuse scandal at West Texas State School? Also, there were allegations of a cover-up by top TYC administrators, and wide scale abuse of inmates by staff at the other TYC facilities. What was the outcome of the investigations into the alleged cover-up, and wide scale abuse of inmates by TYC staff?

Anonymous said...

These are good question? Were anyone top TYC officials charged and found guilty in the alleged coverup of the abuse of TYC inmates ? Who were they? How many staff were involved in the alleged wide scale abuse of inmates, and were they charged with a crime ?

Anonymous said...

You have asked very interesting questions that require answers.Was there evidence that top TYC Officials were engaged in a cover-up of alleged abuse of TYC inmates.If so, were any officials prosecuted for engaging in a cover-up.Was the allegation of large scale abuse of TYC inmates by guards proven to be true? Senator Whitmire dispatched law enforcement to TYC facilities to investigate alleged incidents.

Anonymous said...

Brookins recieved 10 years in TDCJ
Hernandez was found not guilty

There never was a wide scale cover-up, this was a power play to place the agency under conservatorship, nothing else.

Those who would dispute this has no clue or evidence. The real abuse occurred when Senator Whitmire allowed his "Friend" Dimitra Pope run the agency and spray any youth who moved, fire any staff who had more knowledge than her (that was quite a few), and spend money on furniture and rugs for her office. Amazing how this did not bother the Senator??

Anonymous said...

So it appears that many of the problems TJJD is currently experiencing are the result of a witch hunt in 2007 by the Texas legislature. What is Mike Ward trying to accomplish in his articles' by continuing to mmention a cover-up and wide scale abuse when there is no evidence to support such a claim ?

Billy R. Hollis said...

It's apparent to me that there is a large number of people commenting on a topic they know little or nothing about in regartd to the "scandals" that resulted in TYC going under conservatorship in 2007 and the many failed attempts at fixing the broken juvenile justice system in Texas. Until someone realizes that the reasons for these failures are still alive and well in Central Office and at all of the facilities. Nothing will change until "real" juvenile justice professionals are hired and provided with a treatment program that focuses on actually changing behavior and holding the kids (and staff) accountable. Support and more effective training for the staff would also be nice to have. If not, the downward spiral will continue and more facilities will be closed the counties will get their shot.

Anonymous said...

The issue really comes down to is, was there a large scale scandal and over up? NO
Two perverted individuals were allowed to ram free out at West Texas, it was reported, but at the time nobody listened. It did finally come to light and a knee jerk reaction occurred, ths would be called Conservtorship.
The legislators actually did more harm than good when they did this, even though it did bring down youth populations in these institutions. Look at where they are today, do you really believe anything has changed?

Anonymous said...

The word "coverup", like the word "whistleblower" changes its meaning dependng on who uses it in what context, I believe.

As applied to TYC/TDDJ, it seemed there were always at least a few staff working who were doing illegal/immoral/etc activities on the job that were open secrets to most other staff -- but no one ever stepped up to point it out to the highest level of authorities. Not exactly "cover up" sorts of situations, but at very least stiuations that were DOWNPLAYED enough that the rouge staff never got busted for their behavior.

When it comes to job dissatisfaction, some people would tend to see ANY dissention of the status quo as whistleblowing... and from that point of view, many people simply found it more prudent to keep their mouths closed. People who spoke up were labeled troublemakers and/or were subjected to trumped-up charges of poor job performance, which often led to staff quitting (before they were fired).

Call it what you want, who ever you are -- TDDJ is STILL FULL of dirty little secrets and has plenty of ammunition left to blow off should a "scandal" emerge, if it ever does again. It just depends on how srongly concerned taxpayers are willing to dig in order to get to the truth of what's happening.

"See/Speak/Hear No Evil" is the mantra at the Giddings State School, that I know of -- which works fine until it's too late to deny the truth. Only then will the coverups and whistleblowers be seen for what and who they are.

Anonymous said...

"Billy R. Hollis said...
It's apparent to me that there is a large number of people commenting on a topic they know little or nothing about in regartd to the "scandals" that resulted in TYC going under conservatorship in 2007 and the many failed attempts at fixing the broken juvenile justice system in Texas.

The Juvenile Justice Sysyem was not broken.... TYC was broken.... not TJPC. But now that TJJD is basically TYC Plus, the entire sysytem is in jeopardy. County Probation departments are going to suffer under Kimbrough... an escape on his watch from Mart thru a hole in the fence. Mr. Fix IT can not even fix a hole in a fence.

Billy R. Hollis said...

07/31@4:37-I wasn't talking about TJPC (which no longer exists)when I mentioned the "juvenile justice system". But when push comes to shove these kids generally come to TJJD from probation (a part of the "juvenile justice system"). As TJJD continues to downsize, more responsibility for the system and the scrutiny therof will be placed probation and only time will tell how successful you will be. Until then, please continue to remain anonymous!

Anonymous said...

If TJPC wasn't broken, then why did TJPC have over 5000 kids placed in TYC facilities prior to 2007 ?

Anonymous said...

I can't understand John Whitmire's mentality. He has inmates in TDC adult prisons that are dying of heat related illness because of no air conditioning, but he is obsessed with problems that are not as serious in TJJD.

Anonymous said...

Mike Ward of Austin American recently asked an important question:

By Mike Ward
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Three youths who escaped from a Waco-area lockup on Sunday had extensive records of violence while they were incarcerated, including one who was accused in dozens of assaults in just three years, internal agency records revealed Tuesday.

The disclosure raises new questions about whether some of the 1,100 youths incarcerated in the six state-run lockups are too violent to be safely held there.

Anonymous said...

Oh MY God, it's not the youths problem when you allow them to assault and carry-on like they have for the past 4 years.
This was an agency issue, created by weak programs and weaker administrators. Trust me all of the higher ups knew the Conextions program was a failure, but they sold it to the masses out in the field as if it could change a youths life, better than sliced bread. They knew better but never said a word or questioned anyone, now they are still sitting in the same positions with a new mantra, lock em up and throw away the key. This agency will never change with leaders like this.

Anonymous said...

Maybe someone should follow the money on the program everyone agrees did not work? And Grits is 100% right on staffing issues. If you do not have enough staff, or they are poorly managed, all programs are doomed to fail.

Anonymous said...

What is so sad is that people who work with the youth are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The become victims of the youth on a daily basis and managment looks the other way. Where is the leadership? This is not that hard!

Anonymous said...

Young men at TYC/TJJD seem to view education as an opportunity for disruption. With their surly attitudes, hostility towards teachers, and lack of intellectual curiosity, they learn very little in the classrooms. Weren't they like this in their home classrooms back when they were in the free?

David Davis said...

Well i see that the agency is again going back to uniforms. What is the rationalization for this tactic. Is this suppose to send out a message to the kids who are in charge? Locking hard to handle youth up in cells for an extended period of time only sends a message to these type of kids that the agency no lonnger have a program to meet there treatment needs. At Giddings hard to manage kids behavior needs were addressed and treated. Before you can try and use these community based programs to adressed their treatment needs. You first need a program that address their behavior needs first.I addressed this to the training department when they first introduced the conextion program. I was labled as anti conextion and the behavior management program was dismanteled. All of us that were specialist in training staff to assist kids in manageing their behavior problems were taken out of the entire treatment loop and made institutional traineers.We taught first aid cpr and other unrelated skills that didn't directly involve us with the treatment of kids. Every since this happened in 2007 the agency has been in turmoil. Assault on staff is an all time high. With the direction the agency is headed.They might as well call the agency a jr. penetentuary. Like they did at Mountain View. Uniforms and long extended lock up periods for hard to manage kids.The only thing missing is physcial brutality.They are replacing the physcical part with mental brutality. The extended lock up procedure.It is not fair to blame JCO staff for this mess. If staff are not properly trained. They have no choice but to use there survival skills. I hope that someone will develop a program that teaches staff proper interpersonal communication skills as well as good behavior management skills. People that were present when they were taught these skills understand what i am saying. Those that are responsible for removeing this training also know what i am talking about.It doesn't take highly educated people to do this training. Take it from someone who does not have a college degree and taught this training to the agency for over 25 years. My team and i had a very sucessfull record. Check out the statistics. Thank you,a concerned retired and caring retired TYC STAFF. David Davis,ex Behavior Specialist Supervisor.

Anonymous said...

Dave Davis,
The agency has given up on the attempt to manage behavior.

Anonymous said...

David Davis, your right some of the staff who still work for TJJD know what your talking about, they are the same ones who sold their souls. They knew conextions would never work, or they were stupid enough to believe it would work. Either way they are still working as administrators for this agency and have done nothing but line their pockets. Kimbro should start asking these questions and try to get this agency back on track, maybe some forced retirements need to occur first.

Anonymous said...

You can spot these unprincipled administrators - they're the ones walking around with their finger in the air (trying to find out which way the wind is blowing). There's a pocket of them drawing top salaries - for what? For being unprincipled. For selling their souls. Since 2007, they have stayed in power by rushing up to lick the boot of each new top boss. The top boss is usually fooled by this transparent bit of hooey.

Anonymous said...

These same Administrators have been around for awhile, some came to power after or during 2007 but they have 15 to 25 years exp.
I have also wondered why with Ms Townsend leaving and the way the agency is in the shape it is in who would want to keep the structure the same but I guess we will have to wait and see.

Anonymous said...

Nothing will change, we have been waiting and hoping but we get the same old shit. Now we are getting 2 asst superintedents, just more do nothing, never show up on the dorms crap. I am sure the smart ones in central office came up with this great idea. We need leadership that has balls not the same old lap dog crap we have seen these past 4 years. At some point someone will figure out it's not the exec director, but those below this position where the change must occur.

Sheldon tyc#47333 said...

Michele Deitch is quoted "We need to learn from our mistakes..” Can’t learn from mistakes that never happened, or are covered up, or deflected. Phoenix, Mountain View all over again.
Screwed up kids, perhaps 2nd and 3rd gen tyc kids managed by screwed up adults. Not enough screwed up adults to combat staff shortages in the little BFE towns. Should have kept them all in one place, it’s cheaper than transporting them all over Texas’ cotton belt.
Apparently TJJD likes to keep doing the same old thing while expecting different results. TJJD might as well move all the kids back to Gatesville where there are plenty of screwed up adults to handle the screwed up kids along with separate smaller schools.
Here is a link to an article from the Lubbock Morning Avalanche September 1950 about splitting up the school into smaller schools. http://newspaperarchive.com/morning-avalanche/1950-09-27/page-22 At least they had enough since to build the new schools closer together back in 1950 even though gas was not as expensive.
Staff deflecting to old ED’s, Supervisors, Central Office, and Legislators I suppose is par for people at that societal level. Then again according to a Dewhurst PAC, tyc is Ted Cruz’s fault. Kids go home from there and commit suicide or aggravated kidnapping. The white soccer milf in the ad made it less believable. Almost hysterical. Yet most of the kids in tyc look like Trayvon and most staff look like Oboma.
A commentator said it was programs in the 80’s that messed up tyc, Just tell the truth and say affirmative action so others can anonymously call you a racist.
Speaking of old things, throughout the 1950’s annual reports published by tyc complained that feeble minded Negros undermined the institutional goals. Nothing new under the sun in today’s TJJD as posted here anonymously.
Hum, perhaps there’s the answer, separate the kids who look and want to be like Trayvon and don’t let people who look like Oboma run things then everything should be all right. We don’t have people like that in my kid’s school and we don’t have any problems like the schools that have them. There’s not a lot of hollering and loud talking. Its civilized. Just saying.
Oh wait we do have that segregation situation; it’s called TJJD and its ghetto feeder public schools.
But wait, perhaps the Texas justice system is racist in both its incarceration and hiring practices, and the people putting together crime statistics must be racist as well.
Racist, isn’t that the word used today to deflect from addressing serious social issues in society. My spell check must be racist because it shows that Oboma and Trayvon are misspelled. Damn these Apple Mac’s.

Sheldon tyc#47333 said...

What I find fascinating is only in America do black people or to be more precise slave descendents as a cultural majority find it acceptable to behave in an uncivilized manor. While at the same time American media and our own government enable this uncivilized behavior in the American slave decedents. Prison and the ghetto are only distinguishable by the level of security and thus glorified in the American slave descendent culture. Racial bigotry keeps the whole system in check and allows the feeble minded to fall pray.
Our criminal justice system is nothing more than a constitutional slave trade and affirmative action allows the very people who historically started the business by supplying the product to participate as overseers of such product. After all who would be better at controlling the uncivilized American slave decedents than other slave decedents?
Society needs the ghetto and its feeder schools for TJJD just like TDCJ needs TJJD. It provides for these American slave decedents and those who want to be like them a place to channel their negative energy. Even provides a few of the less feeble minded to have a since of running something. The activist will always be there to increase the cost. While our legislators just need to be a little bit smarter about controlling them so they don’t cost so much.
Those who want to participate in civilized society thank Gd today can if they so choose. Everyone has that right today no matter what ethnicity even more so for the American slave descendants. That’s the real hope for these kids if they can discover life beyond the racial bigotry of their world.

Anonymous said...

Scared for you Texas! Don't go to the movies, school or church in your state as long as "Sheldon" is out there. Soon, he'll be on tv w/orange hair being arraigned for his next crime. If he's the result of TYC's best work, TX is in a world of trouble. I'll remain anonymous because who knows what his sick mind is planning. Woo Sah Sheldon, Woo Sah! Take a deep breath and exhale. Now, slide your arms into that nice white, snug fitting jacket until the pills start to work and slow your thoughts down. #hesreallysick

Sheldon tyc#47333 said...

Anonymous 8/7/2012 7:17am
You post anonymous because perhaps you are anonymous. I’m willing to bet you do not have the credentials or the licensure to diagnose my mental state based on a free market idea, derived from historical facts, that’s thrown on a public subject matter blog that for the most part is uncensored and open for debate. Your pusillanimous comment shows no ability to debate on an intellectual level, just label and name call with a pop culture twist.
Snuff out racial bigotry viva Zimmerman.

BTW the TJJD and Me web page is a little stale, perhaps it should be replaced with a link to the TDCJ offender search web page.