Just a couple of quick items about the Texas Youth Commission's decision to close its unit in Coke County:
Locals Angry at Coke Closure
First, I spoke to House Corrections Chairman Jerry Madden who tells me local officials in Coke County are furious at TYC ending its contract with the Geo Group. The decision will cost the school district 20 teacher jobs, he said, and eliminate up to 80 other jobs.
Good News and Bad News
Chairman Madden said the upside of news about the Coke County facility is that TYC officials actually did something, when two years ago he doesn't think they would have. OTOH, he said, he wakes up every day wondering about the troubled agency, "What's next?"
Sanitary Enough?
The Coke facility may have been too unsanitary and dangerous for TYC, but the Geo Group thinks somebody will house their prisoners there, the company said in a press release. "We will be marketing the available beds at the Center to state and federal detention agencies around the country." Maybe some state or federal inspectors need to check out the place before they proceed with that plan.
Hit in the Pocketbook
AP reports that the Geo Group's stock fell as a result of the contract termination.
Substance of Allegations
Jim Hurley told the Austin Statesman, "I can't get into too much detail because our investigations are continuing, but the conditions were unsanitary, the kids were not safe," he said. "They had dirty clothes. They had no change of clothes. Sheets were filthy. Some had no sheets, and some were sleeping on dirty mattresses."
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54 comments:
So how was it different from any other TYC facility?
Good question! I hope this is a wakeup call to all TYC Facilities.
I see an opportunity for emergency funding to clean up this mess and hire some competent help.
With TDCJ still short over 3,000 officers for years I am sure TYC will receive emergency funding!
I do hope the TYC folks are keeping good sanitary conditions at their State-run facilities.
Retired 2004.
2:26, I cant speak for all the facilities but the one I worked at, Marlin, was clean. In fact, many of the kids found themselves in a clean safe place getting 3 1/2 meals a day for the first time in their life.
Historically, cleanliness is not necessarily a sign of a well functioning rehab program.
IN the 1950s and 60s, visitors to TYC facilities frequently commented on the sparkling clean facilities, the neatly kept grounds, etc. Supporters held this out as evidence of a good program.
One observer even likened Gainesville to a "college campus" or a "private boarding school."
But investigations regularly unearthed evidence of horrendous abuses taking place in these shiny clean institutions... hygiene is important but it can become an end in itself if one isn't careful.
Bill Bush
Sorry 4:06, but the TYC is the one organization within the TDC that I just cannot get behind in any respect. Not enough guards, guards allowing kids to get beat almost to death, no internal accountability whatsoever for sexual assault of the kids in their care, etc.
It's like the Catholic Church, with more bars.
Um, 4:15, TYC is NOT under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Let's hope it stays that way.
all these kids came to Mart 2 today
Dirty and nasty, We will see how it goes today.Ms Pope is on campus at this timme
197 recommitts dumped into Mart 2. Sounds like a sound decesion based on safety. What kind of morons are running TYC? Why the transfere in the middle of the night? Did TYC skip out on their rent? Another small town gets the rug pulled out from under them by TYC. No doubt other small towns will take this in to account when TYC wants to locate a facility in their little town or big one for that matter. Just say no to TYC!
Ok now you hit a nerve, I work at Ron Jackson and have for 16 years and I have to say that all of the years I have been there the sanitation has been excellent from the First Super Linda Steen,then Garrison, Humeniuk and Stroud they all have done an excellent job on ensuring that the Facilitis are always clean and the youth are provided for!Wake up call !! Yeah right maybe you should do more research on that statement!!!
As far as hiring good help maybe you should state that the main problems are not from the staff that are there but the past Top Staff !!! Maybe we should check out the Legislators maybe a breathalizer after they vote on something !!! Who was that senator who was popped in Austin for DWI pretty much right after a session ,,, Hmmmm I wonder if He was drinking at Lunch Break ,,, Is that a State Policy ....
5:46, On the DWI legislator, under the TYC standard that would be "gross fiscal mismanagement" requiring a conservator. Maybe D'Pope is available for that job.
5:45, they yanked the kids out for their own good. Until you see the internal paperwork piling up at TYC saying that conditions and staffing at Coke County were abysmal, you probably shouldn't compare the facility at Bronte to conditions in state-run TYC facilities. This time, TYC didn't want to hem and haw it out, and let attorneys, advocates, and the media get out in front of them -- again.
I always hesitate into giving much credence to vague, unspecified conditions, particularly when those claims are made by people who have a historic tendency toward issuing sensational press when they are getting too much flack over some other issue - losing the pepperspray lawsuit.
I am not a big fan of the Coke County facility, but this smells of the old bait and switch the media topic to me. When an administration is in favor of pepperspraying at the drop of a hat. I find it hard to believe that dirty clothes and bed linen is the real reason for cancelling the contract in the dead of night. There has to be more to this than what is in the TYC press release.
Howard A. Hickman
4:15 p.m. (if you are a serious commenter and not just trying to get a rise from someone), you have taken a collection of anecdotes, lies, and isolated incidents to arrive at the hyperbole you have in your post. These problems did and do exist in TYC, but on a much, much smaller scale than many believe. Someday, maybe history will provide some perspective.
Howard, do you have any idea of what the contract with GEO says about notice or conditions for ending the contract?
6:26,
The Geo contract should have a 30 day no cause termination notice clause. The dirty clothes, etc. is probably being used to justify an emergency termination. There are some other outs TYC could utilize but they are not paying me for what I know so I assume (and all I am going to talk about) their termination approach is limited to the obvious.
Howard A. Hickman
It was Constitutional Rights Violations Howard. CRIPA stuff big time. It was a matter of time. This should have happened years ago.
The decisive action taken by Ms. Pope is a clear indication of the positive changes underway at the Texas Youth Commission,” said Gov. Rick Perry. “I am deeply disappointed that conditions at the facility have deteriorated to this point, but am confident that today’s actions will remedy the situation.”
The guv's take on the Coke closure.
7:19,
Pepperspraying youth in violation of a legally approved policy is a CRIPA problem. Dirty clothes on its face is not a CRIPA problem, but possibly a need for a new launderer. There has to be something more than dirty laundry. What is it if you know?
Howard A. Hickman
Like I have stated in the recent past, Howard, you can respond so specifically to the issues, why don't we get a lobby together to get you into the Executive Director Position? As far as I am concerned you speak to the issues clearly and and in a manner that clearly shows you have a real undestanding of the operations and regulations. You Rock!!
I've talked to several folks that were there, old school as well as new. It was bad. Like...feces in places it shouldn't have been and no access to hygine bad. I just do't understand how it could have gotten that bad w/ supposedly 4 TYC staff on site!!
I have a question for Ms. Pope.
She says she has "zero tolerance" for abuse within the system....how can you explain leaving McFadden Ranch open???? You are contradicting yourself yet again Ms. Pope. We have proven to you that youth have been EXPLOITED, ABUSED and medically NEGLECTED, and what have you done??? NOTHING!!! Thats what! Get your ass in gear and protect ALL the TYC youth!! If something is not done at McFadden this week, WE ARE TAKING IT OUT OF TYC HANDS and making sure the FEDS get involved...enough is enough Pope!!!
Will somebody teach these folks how to google a name first.......it's apalling what you will find on this one...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Texas Youth Commission officials said Tuesday they are looking into how a former public school principal who was forced to resign amid complaints was hired to head education programs at a troubled East Texas lockup.
Brent Rumbo, 35, started Monday as principal of the Crockett State School after a pre-employment background and criminal-history check "came up totally clean," agency spokesman Jim Hurley said.
Hurley said officials would review Rumbo's hiring to determine if he should have been hired and if he should keep his job
@9:57, with respect, what we need is Howard as General Counsel. TYC BADLY needs a good lawyer. Somebody also suggested Richard LaVallo would be a good choice - either would be an improvement.
I'm among the camp that would like to see Judge Jeanne Meurer become E.D., though I considered nominating Old Salty.
And thx, 6:06, for the Rumbo tip.
We are all behind Howard here...but as somebody who has been a victim of Howard's one-size-fits all legal ease...I can say that I am not impressed at all with the way he handled things while he was at TYC. He stood behind those doing wrong...and he knows it.
Sure, he is gone from TYC now and outspoken...but if he would have spoken out while all of this abuse of employees was happening, he could have prevented it.
Thanks for nothing Howard.
I'm with you Howard - this smells an awful lot like we're hiding something again. Sounds to me like D'Pope is trying to draw the media's attention away from something else - I wonder what???
Lets see 8:03, We have a superintendent who "used" TYC youth as laborers at a staff members house and then poured bleach on the kid who became infected with poison ivy because she couldn't get him medical care( how could he explain the poison ivy?)We had a JCO 4 go in front of the state senators and tell of this abuse, the facility in question is being sued by a former employee and the kid who was injured by the bleach incident has sought legal representation....hmmm? MAYBE SHE IS DIVERTING ATTENTION AWAY FROM THIS???? She did state to the Star-Telegram that these investigations would be completed this week....So, Pope....we are waiting!
If something DOESN'T happen at McFadden this week. I personally am taking this out of TYC's hands.I KNOW abuse is occuring there and YES...I HAVE REPORTED IT NUMEROUS TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frustration has moved into anger that the state allows this to continue!!!
8:14, If the state doesn't do anything, contact the ACLU. It sounds like various civil rights are being violated at that facility and I am sure they can point you in the right direction to get some problems properly resolved. Good Luck.
properly resolving problems at Mcfadden??? That is so funny!!!!! Nothing gets "resolved" there. It gets covered-up and buried. If Cooke gets to keep her job ( not to mention her freedom) after this latest fiasco, I am sure that maybe there is somebody in a higher office that will listen. An election year is coming up.....
There are TOO many allegations of abuse for such a small facility. SOMEBODY will get something done...we just have to find the right person.
Ok, maybe I would get promoted if I had a DWI conviction and went trolling for hookers. No wonder I can't get ahead, I have a clean record. And where is Quality Assurance at Cooke COunty. That place did not turn that bad overnight. You can't blame Rumbo and Cooke County on the old adminstraion. This happened under the reformed leadership of those 'professionals" from TDCJ. Hoe much longer is the leg. going to close there eyes to management that is just as bad as the ones that were replaced?
I've worked with and respected Howard while at TYC, and applaud his willingness to sign his name and own his comments. But come on Howard, you know how bad Coke County was.
Of course there's more to it than can be discussed publicly. There are limits due to confidentiality and ongoing investigation. Bait and switch? Huh?
I see this as the first positive thing this new administration has done. Shouldn't we support the positive steps as well as rail against the missteps?
A little positive reinforcement goes a long way toward shaping the behavior to be what you want. Getting them out of Coke County will only benefit those youth.
I agree with 2:39. The removal of kids from Coke County was a good decision and the morally right thing to do. Just because TYC is imperfect doesn't mean it has some evil agenda that involves cancelling contracts and shifting kids around so that it can divert people's attention from other things.
Sometimes in people's attempts to be "justifiably" cynical, they come across as naive and silly, instead. If anyone wants to paint this as a TYC diversion tactic, they'd have to implicate the Ombudsman, too. People need to get a grip on reality and discuss ACTUAL problems and how to solve them instead of complaining about the good decisions, as well. The question now is how to best treat these kids and hold those who failed them accountable.
Absolutely, 2:39 and 3:41. 100% in agreement.
Isn't this closure interesting. TYC cannot close one of their own facilities but can swoop down and close a contract facility. TYC-CO has not listened to its staff so why should they start at the Coke County program? Ms Pope and her people who are really not intereted in kids or their staff (people's) lives and future are about as callous and uncaring as anyone can possibly get. To think these people are making decisions that will affect youth and destroy personal lives does not leave one with any sense of well being for those who have put her (Ms Pope) in a position of power (of which she is drunk on). The people at McFadden are crying for help at their facility, the TYC people at Coke County have done a good job and now they are being thrown to the sharks. How long does it take to destroy a room, a youth can destroy a room while you are trying to talk him down. TYC Central Office, politicians, and newspaper writers need to go out and hold a dorm or work directly with the kids and then offer the criticism they are so free with. Maybe Coke County should have been closed and maybe it should not have but the way TYC handled it was wrong!
One of things that an administration must have is information regarding the status of all of its institutions and programs. I have not heard anything about what oversight systems are in place for the administration to know what is going on. This was an issue with the previous admin. and after 6 months, how much progress has been made by the new administration in really evaluating the conditions in the facilities? Where are they with the risk assessments they were to do that were announced months ago? What are the systems to ensure that the youth are well cared for and not being abused? How can Pope say with certainty that there is no more abuse? What is her evidence? How can she be sure that this is not happening at TYC facilities or other contract facilities, especially with the staff shortages? Coke County did not change overnight. She and Owens said a month ago that the conditions are greatly improved and then they close down a facility and send kids to already overburdened and understaffed facilities. Another criticism is that there was no programming. What programming is supposed to be taking place since they stopped Resocialization? Can they be sure that programming is occurring at TYC run institutions especially since there really is no approved program? I am not saying that Coke Co. shouldn't have had its contract terminated, but I am questioning the competence of the current administration to address the issues in an organized and thoughtful manner that will, in fact, benefit the youth in its care.
Thank you 2:39 and 3:41. I agree.
While there are still many problems to be addressed at TYC, the decision to remove those youth is not one of them.
Their basic rights were being violated. Moving them to another facility was the right move.
If the TYC administration hadn't cancelled the contract with Coke County and removed those youth, then we should have been screaming cover-up.
The fact that the youth were moved in the middle of the night speaks to how bad the conditions were, not that the administration was trying to hide the move. That would be stupid, they know they are under a microscope.
Thank you to the CO staff who visited the program and rang the alarm.
"The people at McFadden are crying for help at their facility, the TYC people at Coke County have done a good job and now they are being thrown to the sharks. How long does it take to destroy a room, a youth can destroy a room while you are trying to talk him down. TYC Central Office, politicians, and newspaper writers need to go out and hold a dorm or work directly with the kids and then offer the criticism they are so free with. Maybe Coke County should have been closed and maybe it should not have but the way TYC handled it was wrong!"
Coke County should have been closed, no question about it. The people there did not do a good job according to anybody who visited. Why are you defending it? And how did TYC handle the closure incorrectly? Should TYC have waited for weeks or months more for some official "word" that it needs to be closed? Kids were living in squalor. While you rant about the injustices of closing the facility, think what it would be like living in one of those filthy, cramped cells for one day, one month, or one year, and ask yourself why you're arguing that the place should keep warehousing kids. Where are your priorities?
And if you know something is very wrong at McFadden Ranch, have you reported it to the OIG? Or are you typing an effortless ramble that requires even less insight and evaluation than what you claim the media and legislators falsely report to the public?
7:45,
About what are you referring? Who was I standing behind that was doing wrong? About what abuse of employees am I supposed to know about?
2:39,
I stated that I was not a big fan of Coke County. My point was the TYC press statements indicated the problems were dirty laundry and lack of a substitute for Resocialization, which is pretty strange as a reason for an emergency closure. Even what is reported coming from the Ombudsman's report is vague, general, subjective, and seems mostly based on youth reports. My question is what objective evidence are we talking about? How difficult would it be to take pictures of the unsanitary conditions and release them?
I do not want to demean Mart but how much better are conditions when one dumps 197 youth at Mart? I am sure there are some real big problems created by that operation. I am am sure that the Mart staff are doing more than they should be expected to do in that situation and working a lot of overtime. I would bet that there were some problems with the food service contractor meeting the sudden increase in food demand and the youth are receiving cold meals. The Mart staff have my sympathy in handling what must be a logistical nightmare.
Howard A. Hickman
Coke County, Howard, was more of a constitutional nightmare than just dirty laundry. It wouldn't be fitting for a third-world country. Why was that contract renewed every time it came up? We've been reporting these concerns for years?
Something smells foul here, and it's not emitting from the actual facility. This smells worse.
They fired all TYC employees who were charged with over sight, even one that was a new employee in orientation. Lynn Parra, Larry Isabelle, Elizabeth Lee (resigned this afternoon), the QA supervisor, and all monitors, for a total of 8. Even a clerk.
If they had involved a huge voice, a bullhorn if you will, a true youth advocate who has a tenacity of a pitbull to advocate for the rights and well-being of children in contract care, then they wouldn't be in the position they're in now.
Utilize Jeanette Burke. The crazed red-head from Boston is an advocate like no other, and they ignored her. They kept her home, away from the hidden truth of what was happening.
Jeannette is sworn to fun, but loyal to none when it comes to issues as this, and it'd be nice to have a gal like her going banshee (sometimes Really Banshee) to watch these contracts.
We had a person like that at McFadden. They even called her a little pitbull, she was new to Texas and to TYC. She didn't take any garbage from anybody and she stood up against the abuse. She knew what she was doing and she fought for the rights of those boys. She was what every TYC employee should be and stand for....until they terminated her.
I agree. Jeannette B. has been screaming for a long time for the rights of youth... put her over the contracts piece! She knows her stuff AND she's an advocate for youth. What could be better!!!
Howard, you sound like a Coke County/GEO apologist. Do you really, truly believe that your air of skepticism is warranted when TYC removed those kids as if a Category 5 hurricane was making landfall? There must have been absolutely deplorable conditions in Bronte if they took such swift, unequivocal action. They didn't just issue a stern warning or send some YCI's. They yanked those kids out as though they were at risk of imminent harm. Oh, wait. A youth DID kill himself last year after losing 23 pounds in 2 months. Imminent would be an understatement.
Maybe the press isn't more specific because they were not present at the facility and people don't want to screw up pending criminal and admin investigations. We have a group of adults agreeing that these kids were neglected and living in horrid conditions, and you're using the old TYC standby of, "Well, we just have these kids' words to go on. Let's piddle around and see if I feel convinced." You can't take other people's word for it and show more concern for the kids who survived there?
First off let me say to all of you that have such negative comments, you need to be there to see what was going on. TYC and Brownwood did nothing but lie and make up stuff to cover up all their problems that they have had that were proven. They were out to make them selves look good at GEO's expense. Thoes kids were not filthy or mistreated, untill Brownwood "pulled and dragged them out". Ask thoes on the bus how far they got before they had to pull over due to the kids trying to rock the bus over. Coke County got all the kids that no one wanted or could handle.
7:07 and 8:54,
I suggest that you reread all the postings that I have made on this specific blog. I am not an apologist for Geo or the TDCJ folks. I just believe that there should be specific serious problems identified when a contract is immediately terminated and 197 youth are dumped into one TYC facility on little notice. Whatever happened to the people's right to know? I just do not take the stated generalities as fact. There is more to this than has been stated.
Howard A. Hickman
I have made several reports of abuse for youth who had come through that facility.
There were many specific and serious problems and unfortunately had been there for a long time.
What abuse are they doing at Mcfadden?
Thanks for the compliment, Scott, but Old Salty definitely does not want the job! What TYC needs at the very top is an experienced top-level executive, who knows how to recruit and motivate top-notch jj experts and who can deal effectively with the politicos; a retired CEO of a large corporation, or a retired General or Admiral. Before everyone starts throwing spears at me for that one, note that USAA is a top-rated organization that is also constantly rated as one of the best Corporations in the country to work for - it is run by retired Generals and Admirals who are definitely not insurance experts. They are people who know how to get a job done, and who know how to lead and manage the experts. Old Salty
9:15 pm. No, TYC did not lie about the conditions at Coke County. I did talk with caseworkers who rode the busses. I also talked with people who went to Coke County to investigate. Also, the kids did not all get dumped at one facility. Crockett took 40 from Mart, Mart got 40 from Coke County, and the bulk of the rest went to Ron Jackson.
evins should be next.
Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, TYC still needs Leadership.
I happen to know a lot of people in Bronte. I know that a lot of good church going folks were in the facility on a regular basis. It is extremely difficult for me to believe that any one of those people would have seen anything remotely resembling what has been reported without raising the roof. The people of Bronte are good, honest, old-fashioned types and would not have tolerated for one minute the conditions that have been reported. Take this for what it's worth.
Does anyone have the current list of the Facility Superintendents and Ass. Superintendents?
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