Grits had reported earlier this month here, here, and here that the Texas Youth Commission was far along in the process of analyzing bids from private contract facilities to house 10-13 year olds, who make up about 20% of TYC's inmate population. But in a story yesterday, the Dallas Morning News reported that:
just days after detailed questioning by The News, TYC canceled bid requests for new contract facilities. Bidders included contractors currently operating facilities in Texas that had a history of problems in other states.I confirmed via email correspondence with one of the writers, Holly Becka, that the bidding process for housing 10-13 year olds was one of those that was canceled: "there were three RFPs that TYC canceled out of the blue," she wrote in an email. "One was for the 10- to 13-year-old kids; two were for older male inmates."
For now at least, then, plans are on hold to farm out more TYC inmates to private youth prisons. So what will happen instead? Since the agency's budget was cut by the Legislature based on assumptions about inmate population reductions, does this decision affect other plans for reforming the agency and how? Maybe some time soon we'll get another conservator's report that will let us know more about what's going on. None of these questions were answered in TYC administrators' recent State of the Agency tour.
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36 comments:
Thanks Grits! This is wonderful news for our little guys. Just hope they keep it all cancelled for staff and these kids.
Lets hope that someone from CO has read our concerned about these students and they listen to what they heard alot of us saying!
Scott, here's a question to contemplate. If you were a parent of a kid 10-13 years old committed to TYC, would you:
a) Rather he/she be in a state run facility where every advocacy group in the world is watching them, or
b) Be in some hidden away contract care facility where monitoring and/or interest of their welfare is poor at best, and profit and public relations comes before youth treatment?
If we could find some treatment facilities that didn't have the histories of these bidders, and were well known for their integrity. i.e., Brown Schools in San Marcos, the Meridale Achievement Center, Bayes Achievement Center (BAC) in Huntsville (not a relative of TB), and so forth, then yeah, I'd rather my 10-13 year old go to those places.... but not the contracts that made bid with those histories.
The reason these high class facilities don't bid on these state contracts is due to the fact insurance companies pay a higher per-diem than those low bids. We are cheap when it comes down to quality contract care treatment.
I'd rather my 10-13 year old go somewhere where everyone is watching if that's the case, and TYC is it. What would you do?
Here's a more relevant question.
They canceled the 10-13 year olds RFP, but what about the 15 and up secure and non-secure RFP"s?
The RFPs related to older boys were canceled, too, is my understanding. And anon 6:43, I hope I didn't imply I favored the contact care for little guys - if you check the links to my earlier posts I'd opposed the idea. best,
Nah... I've been watching this link on the issue Scott. I fully understood, and respect the fact that you brought issue forward. I'd want to know more about the plan for the 10-13 year olds though, and a thorough background on any provider that bids. That needs to be made public. Hell, it all needs to be made public.
I sure am glad we are getting all that monitoring from every advocacy group in the world! Heck, we haven't even heard a peep out of the ombudsman! I can't believe I actually defended him when certain legislators jumped on him earlier. How is he any better than the TDCJ wonks who are making all these decisions without getting input from experienced, proven workers in the field? What's he gonna do, sit in Austin, draw his salary and make judgements based upon his preconceived notions?
I am pretty sure Will Harrell after looking at these contract facilities will stand up. Now if he does not then I will go along with you but at least give the guy a chance. We all know CO wants as many youth as possible out of the system but at what cost. Once again where are these concerned parents, politicians? Do they care about their own kids, speaking of which have we seen the parents bill of rights, what would these parents say about shipping their kids to hired guns.
WILL Stand up and present your side. I still believe you will do the right thing your not beholden to any of these CO staff.
And keep in mind, folks, not just regarding Will but others, outside this blog nobody was talking about privatization plans publicly. When I first asked Jim Hurley about RFPs on 10-13 year olds he said he'd only just learned of it. The process has been opaque even to people on the inside; IMO that's a big part of the problem.
FYI.. I stated on 7/23/2007 9:30 PM
Anonymous said...
I was told today that adding Contract Facilities is now on HOLD. Wasn't told for how long.
7/23/2007 9:30 PM
Let's see. Will was allowed to be hired despite having a recent misdemeanor conviction because he wasn't a JCO. So does that mean they knew all along that he wasn't going to go interact with the kids? No worry about him hurting the kids.
I have never posted a comment on Grits before but I am a loyal reader and felt the need to speak up on Will's behalf.
Let's remember that Mr. Harrell is only one man. Will is monitoring every TYC facility by himself and will not be able to hire assistance until September. Added to this he has to report every move to not only the legislatures but also to the Governor's office, Ed Owens and Dimitria Pope. I am certain that he cares about these youth and will do an excellent job but until he has employees he will have to do it one facility at a time. Honestly, how many of us could be put in his shoes and do a better job.
I am not employed with TYC but I have the greatest respect for those dedicated TYC employees who have had to suffer through this insanity. You guys do have people that appreciate everything you are doing. We are speaking on your behalf we just need to start doing it through megaphones so it will get heard. Please keep up the great work because we need you!
Hey Grits... Can you email us asap....
We dont have your email..
backgate_website@yahoo.com
Thanks!
I guess the question should be, "Why are our LEADERS trying to contract our youth to any company that has has history of mis-management"?
Why is all this taking place in the shadows with no TRANSPARENCY?
Those of us in the State Government field also understand that our LEADERS can ask for and receive more funding based upon youth population projections.
Unless of course the ultimate goal/plan is to close more facilities and by taking these steps it would foil their plans for further closures?
@10:24, Thanks, I remember that, and had been looking for confirmation ever since. This was the first official confirmation I've seen or heard, but I appreciate the tip! best,
Grits, I find it hard to believe that Jim Hurley "only just learned of it." The RFP was posted on TBPC's electronic bulletin board and was discussed at several meeting at which Hurley was present. He was probably saying that he had just heard that DMN had a problem with it. You need to watch the word parsing from TYC's management.
Hurley could teach Slick Willy a thing or two about parsing!
TYC will lie when the truth would sound better. It is just their nature. Never forget who and what you are dealing with when it comes to TYC.
It is a good thing the old saying about your pants being on fire if tell a lie is not really true. If it was, there would be a lot of management folks showing their ass at TYC.
Put on Hold! They will let this blow over and move on with the plan.
Why doesn't TYC clear the crazies out of McFadden and turn it into a STATE-OPERATED facility for the little guys? That C.D. treatment program isn't worth a crap anyway.
I have enough TYC (and other state employment) so I can say: "in the good old days...." Except, they weren't so good... Morales v Turman is well known. Ron Jackson had a tendency to remind superintendents and other relatively higher ups that "you work for me, and don't you forget it." Not assuming that power corrupts, but the infighting in state government may take its toll. It seems the only way to get anything of value out of the legislature is to pay in something of equal or greater value (check on the expenses associated with the creation of Al Price, such as making the property usable or taking San Saba, Marlin and Hamilton and giving it to TYC so they could get air conditioning, then handing them back without having to dip into TDCJ funds). Jackson was the consumate power player until he lost his temper at the wrong time and the wrong legislature (or so the story goes).
However, back in the "good old days" and as recently as 10-12 years, the idea in juvenile corrections was that probation departments intervened when parents or schools could no longer influence pro-social behavior, more formal with judges and attorneys if that didn't work, placement at county facilities (Harris County reportedly made good use of their programs.... can't confirm from experience) even a couple of times, then TYC. At TYC, divert to other programs if appropriate, often NOT corrections, but meeting special needs such as developmentally disabled or high medical need, but also special treatment needs (for example, most adolescent sex offenders have been victims, but predators are rarely allowed in support groups for victims. What do you do with a sex offender who was first victimized only a month before?) One of the most difficult has been girls/young women, due in part to the limited numbers. What TYC or contract facility is appropriate for a female, aggressive, violent sex offender with multiple younger male victims who is currently age 15, first oficial offense at age 13? A quick check found NO programs in the entire US, even if we could have contracted with them.
I choose not to be an apologist for TYC of the past; clearly there have been a lot of screw ups to go with the cover ups. But good grief, has there been anything out of the new TDCJjr that is any better? Keep in mind, I WANT it to work; just as I wanted Jackson, Robinson, and Harris to work. I can take the limited pay, the eroding benefits, the feeding at the public trough comments... been there, done that for a long time... but it gets more difficult to get up and come to work knowing not only am I getting screwed, but so are the kids and the taxpayers.
1:06-What C.D Program? Thats a joke! Check McFaddens recidivism rate! Almost all the kids that get out are back in jail 2 months later!We have old drunks and druggies as C.O.'s! I agree...get out the crazies! If it means me looking for another job, so be it! Something needs to be done about McFadden before the state has yet another lawsuit on their hands thanks to Lisa Cooke.
9:57 advice and do not take this as an attack on your desperate need for help.
I know nothing about your problems in your unit. But it seems as there are post on all the blogs about the horror you all are feeling there. You are not going to solve your problems on the blog,well it would be a long shot if you did.
I would suggest that you all get together as a group, get your documentation in order and besure it is sound documentation and get a plan together. There are many agencies that can and will help you in this situation depending on the nature of your documentation. Put your thinking caps on and use them. Actually only one person can do this if they have enough to back up what they say. Seek out what fits your situation and go from there. Griveances are the best start even though they are not going to solve the problem, they are the first in your documentation that you have tried to resolve your problems. These do not have to be ones that have just recently been written. Sometimes you can go back for a couple of years or more and if they apply to the same type treatment. Appeal the ones that did not return in your favor or did not solve the problem from this point forward. From there take it outside the agency to get help. Good luck, keep the faith and fight for what you believe in. In the end if you dont win, then at least you did all you could to turn the wrong into a right. Get rid of the anger and the bashing of the one's your upset with. Your loosing your case at this point because your getting down on the same level as those you are not pleased with. Keep your bullets on silence and don't fire your gun until its time. As one CO TYC (now retired trainer)employee said, the first to fire the first shot usually wins the battle. This point your building a case for the other side and you don't want to do that unless you want to lose the war.
I know that you guys must really love what you do and you want to have peace and fairness and your interest is in the kids. That is what your fighting for. If you have a unit that is in turmoil due to adminstration then the kids are suffering. They pick up on all of this. They know what is going on, they listen to staff. Tyc needs to learn that adminstrators can not brow beat staff and expect to have a good facility. One day maybe they will learn a place is only as good as its leader. Leader that will see that all are treated fair and with kindness will have a facility that is thriving with less turn overs and kids will be rehabilitated in an atmosphere like that. Head strong, overbearing adminstrators get disguntled staff and kids that learned nothing. People who are working in an enviroment that is fair, firm and consistant with the rules for all are successful. TYC needs to learn that pure and simple and until they do they will never solve the many problems that they have today. Good luck to you all.
11:15, Thank you for your advice. It has been followed. Grievances have been written and appealed with absolutely no resolution given. If it is not in favor of administration, it is "forgotten" about and never answered.People have stood up and gone to outside agencies for help, only to be wrongfully terminated or made to resign.The system will never work as long as current leaders are in place. They blackmail staff with less then perfect records to do as they are told.It is as corrupt as it can get. People have "slipped" through this system with criminal backgrounds and been allowed to keep their positions.TYC is beyond repair in my opinion. It needs to be dismantled and reconstructed from the bottom up. Until this occurs,People with morals need not apply.
To 9:57
McFadden Ranch has the lowest CD recidivism rates in the agency. CD is a difficult problem and it is typical for people to relapse. It frequently takes multiple interventions for the person to give up the drugs.
10:46, whatever..thats NOT true and you know it!But lies coming from McFadden people, thats a suprise!If you people from Mcfadden would tell the truth once in a while, that place wouldn't be the joke of the TYC system. Look at the complaints on the conservators report, Mcfadden has more complaints that any other TYC HWH and many facilities. So go tell it to somebody who doesn't know any better. That place needs closed down!
10:46, you are talking about Staff, right? That place is filled with druggies and drunks alright but they are JCO staff.I am sure it is difficult for these people to maintain their sobriety, thats why many of them relapse!How many McFadden people have really been fingerprinted? Thats my question. What about them background checks? How did those ever turn out? questions that won't be answered, because they are too busy covering up the fact they have criminals watching criminals at Mcfadden
This Mcfadden place, is it a private-run facility? We all had to get fingerprints at our HWH and if anything came back we had to explain it. I know that with new policy TYC can not have anybody guilty of any felony; any sexual,drug-related or assault conviction of any kind or any other charge thats less then 5 years old. This is the same for all TYC facilities as far as I know. Maybe McFadden doesn't have to follow TYC rules because they are privately run? Anybody know?
No, its a TYC HWH. Not contracted out to a private group.Mcfadden doesn't think rules apply to them. They are in their "thinking errors" and "feeling special"
For 11:15 and 10:45 follow up: while 11:15's approach may be the very best response, especially in court at a later date, it fails to deal with "at will" and current Personnel manual rules about NOTHING in these rules over-rides at will employment, i.e. unless the act of terminating an employee is illegal (EEO etc), there is NO recourse. I am not an attorney, but I have been told that the personnel rules, such as requiring progressive sanctions or even cause, protected staff in "at will" states; with that protection removed, even filing a grievance could get someone fired (if you are not part of the team, you are the problem...see Central Office firings/forced retirements etc). In fairness, I am not suggesting this is how TYC will be run or how courts will respond... however, that is what is the written policy. Another example comes to mind: under "Compliance", failing to comply with an order of a supervisor gets you fired...NOWHERE does the word LEGAL order show up. Get ordered to mistreat a student or cover it up and fail to do it, get fired; do it, get fired by somebody else when they need a fall guy. Just try to find a lawyer that will help you when you are no longer employed in a right to work (at will) state.
Maybe Senator Whitmire's firm in between getting sweet state contracts for his clients or the new Senator Hinojosa-Uresti ( keep Evins open even if it is under DOJ watch and I'll keep quiet about you trying to close WTSS in my district if you let me be your partner). Remember, at WTSS, staff DID report suspected abuse and incompetence; look where it got them.
Then again, at WTSS, some staff and some local supporters wear badges that say "Standing Tall with WTSS Staff". Knowing those staff, if WTSS is closed, they will still stand tall. I wish I could tell McFadden and Al Price staff that knowing you stood tall makes the unemployment line easier to take.
3:02, For those of us that were labeled as "troublemakers" before the at- will took effect and wrongfully terminated.TYC will hear us, we will make a difference, at least in the deep pockets of the state.I am also willing to bet, after shelling out millions of dollars in lawsuits,those who thought they were in power will find themselves in the unemployment line.Justice might be slow, but we have to believe that the system will work in the long run.
signed, "having faith"
To 10:46, You need to get a clue! You act like we are idiots and we don't know how many kids have made it at McFadden,I can name at least 10 in the past few months that went back in. The treatment part of the program is so terrible,The AA volunteers were much too concerned with "hugging" the students then actually teaching them anything. It was more of a social gathering for our resident drunk ( our JCO VI)The whole thing is a joke! I saw in another blog about the TYC dog and pony show...thats what we got at McFadden along with a real dog and pony!Save the taxpayers money and get rid of Mcfadden, its a useless place filled with useless people!
If you're really trying to shut it down...keep talking that way. If you want to keep it...start coming up with some solutions instead of continually harping on the problem(s). It's really that simple. The way you and a few others keep talking about this place, I wouldn't let my pet snake go near there, so I wish you guys luck in getting this place investigated!! CO...are you listening?...what is up with this McFadden place? They are continually slammed on this blogsite like no other. Someone really ought to see what's going on there and do something about it!!!
4:57...CO? yeah, right.CO is just as dirty as McFadden. If we want this done right, somebody outside of TYC needs to tear McFadden apart to uncover all of the dirt they have buried there, and there is alot of it over the years, believe me. I have been there and seen it buried. You will see that the people who live there are NOT the real criminals, the real criminals are the ones watching them.
So tell me something 11:43. If things are as bad as you say they are, why haven't YOU contacted the Texas Rangers? It worked out at West Texas.
9:27, If memory serves me right, it took a couple of years at West Texas to get the guilty parties arrested. Mcfadden will get their turn at West Texas type of attention.Don't you worry your McFadden brainwashed head over it. Just keep on spouting all the Cooke propaganda, blaming it all on other people. Don't you ever get sick of protecting guilty people?Because if McFadden has taught us anything, its taught us to lie and manipulate and when you get caught, blame somebody else.Always somebody to "throw under the bus" right? Your turn will come, just watch. History repeats itself and don't forget that.
To 11:09...from 9:27
NEWSFLASH...
I am not from McFadden Ranch. I am from one of the facilities that has good leadership. They do exsist...or at least one does. Maybe you should transfer...sound like HELL at your place.
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