POLICY PRIMER - The Future of Juvenile Parole and Re-entry
August 12th, 2010
August 12th, 2010
How can Texas enhance its approach to parole and reentry to break the cycle of youth crime so there are fewer victims and taxpayers pay less to re-incarcerate the same youths? Featuring:
* The Honorable Jim McReynolds
Chairman, House Corrections Committee
* The Honorable Robert Eckels
Former Harris County Judge
* Cheryln Townsend
Executive Director, Texas Youth Commission
* David Reilly
Chief, Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
Thursday, August 12, 2010
11:30am - 1:00pm
Texas Public Policy Foundation Offices - 900 Congress, Ste 400 - Austin, TX 78701
Click here to register.
For direct inquiries email Mike Joyce or call 512-472-2700.
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21 comments:
If Cherie is involved, the whole eposide will be a disaster. TYC equals rot.
Hey anonymous, Cherie Townsend is one of the finest people I've ever met. And I can tell you that there are far too many good people who work for TYC for you or anyone else to make a blanket statment like 'TYC equals rot'.
It's really kind of gutless of you to attack her and an entire agency without revealing yourself.
It's unfortunate that in this day and age that the coming along with the internet allows people to make mean and hurtful statements while hiding under an 'anonymous' tag.
Of course, I guess I shouldn't talk...I'm going to be anonymous as well, but at least I'm not taking cheap shots at good people and indicting an entire agency.
Please know that under the UTMB/CMC RIF episode, TYC Units are retaining no changes. For example, the Unit that I worked at has 10 RNs and 4 LVNs for about 250Kids. This is Fraud Waste and Abuse under any circumstances. The Leadership just says, "Well it is a differenet contract." That contract is the responsibility of the TYC Director. But as their is Despotism and Nepotism in CMC/TDC, as there is the same with CMC/TYC.
"Gutless" is exactly the word to describe 10:51's comment, though you could have also gone with "cowardly," or just called them a two-bit punk. Please make arguments, not just smears, in these comment string. Long-time readers know I'll shut down these TYC strings if y'all continue with such crap.
If Cherie is so terrible, say specifically why. Compared to her recent predecessors, I find her a breath of fresh air.
As an individual that has worked probation and parole, I see the problem as an easy fix. Give parole responsibilities back to the counties that committed the juvenile. TYC parole is a joke, even the kids know it. There have been times that juveniles prefered TYC over placement. If they go to TYC, they come back on parole. If they go to placement, they come back on intensive supervision. Alot of these juveniles have no desire to change and TYC is the quickest route out of the system.
Once again - gutless people who post anonymously
There is absolutely nothing I hate worse than being criticized for posting anonymously by an anonymous poster!!
Gimme a break!
I'm not anonymous, 1:17. Grow some balls if you want to take cheap shots here, or else STFU.
Why be concerned about her? Just look at what she did for our coworkers at Pyote and Victory Field. Enough said....point made. Watch out.
I got a mile wide smile
"Dont hold back Grit's tell us how you really feel"
now Im LMAO
WOW, Grits such emotion! I do agree with you though, please just the facts (at least as you may subjectively interpret them) not just some lame name calling.
Back to the comment that the Kids in TYC know they got "a good ride". I have heard many brag about how their record will be "expunged". And they "prance around" (at least on our Campus) knowing that they "can get away with it". This applies mostly to those Kids that are likley going to wind up in TDCJ (and I have seen several over the decade).
But also, alot of Kids I have seen never had a good chance from their beginnings (some as young as ten years old that I have been able to contribute to their more "positive rearing" in TYC). So not all of TYC is "bad", though most of the "good" I have seen is on the local level, not by upper management, but by "carrying adults" trying to take care of Kids that need "positive role models".
To illustrate upper management decisions: At a "Halfway House" a volunteer left their keys laying around and a Kid stole them and drove off in their car. So upper management makes everybody leave their keys at "Security Control Picket" (or whatever it is called in TYC). So if someone lost their jacket, no one could wear their jacket in TYC anymore?
I have to remain "Anonymous" for now, but not too much longer!
2:41, the "emotion" is because I'm fed up with it. There are a handful of anon commenters on TYC strings who smear and libel by name a vast array of folks, management and otherwise, while they're all too cowardly to say who they are and too ignorant (or mendacious) to back up their opinions with evidence. They contribute nothing so why should I be polite to them? (If you work at TYC and don't behave that way, then I'm not talking about you.)
Sam Rayburn said any fool can tear down a house but it takes a carpenter to build one. These TYC strings could do with more carpenters and fewer fools.
BTW, 8:21, I'm totally with you on shifting TYC parole to local probation departments. I suggested that a couple of years back in testimony to the Sunset Commission on TYC, but they didn't bite.
Thanks Grits! My comments are strictly "personal observations" from over ten years in the "Trenches" (TDC and TYC).
I am still waiting for the "big blog" though. When is the elusive and enigmatic "Constitutional HealthCare" going to get the attention it deserves in this new age of "National HealthCare Reform"?
I wish I was in a position to write that CMC story, 5:46, I REALLY do. But I'm swamped with paid work for the next three weeks, after which the missus and I are headed for a long-delayed and much needed and anticipated vacation, so I've got to put that on the back burner and can't get to it anytime soon if I have to do the primary research.
You've given me an idea for a post, though, perhaps encouraging MSM journalists to go after that story since I don't have time. There are plenty of leads.
Sorry to divert off topic there. Juvenile reentry, where were we? ...
The reason I am posting anonymously is because I work for TYC and not only do I like my job, I need my job.
So TYC parole is a joke, huh? That's really disheartening to hear being that some of the most dedicated and thoughtful people I've met who work for the agency work in parole and in the community.
I guess according to the anonymous poster and the author of this blog itself, those people should lose their jobs.
I understand being frustrated at having to put keys in a box. On the other hand, how is it that a TYC staff at a halfway house left his or her keys keys to be taken in the first place?
Locking keys up is an inconvenience, I know. But not nearly as big of an inconveniance as having to explain to your immediate supervisor how a youth was able to drive off in a staff vehicle and the mountains of paperwork you'll have to fill out to explain yourself.
I was sorry to see Pyote go away. But as far as Victory Field was concerned, I really wasn't. I know alot of good people were affected by that and I'm sorry that those people lost their jobs. But I never saw how bootcamp programs could be effective. And that was before statistical data was released saying that they weren't.
I know how people think the recent changes in TYC have given every advantage to the youth who don't want to change.....But from my experience, those youth weren't really kept in check by resocialization either.
Those youth will wind up in prison. And there's not a whole lot that can be done about it.
But there are youth that are being helped by connections. And it's my belief that those youth are the same kind of youth that were helped by resocialization.
Yes indeed there are youth who are being helped by TYC...I know it's hard to beleive, but there are. Those stories don't get the attention of the public like that of a TYC youth committing some horrible crime does.
That's just the way it is.
If you're a TYC employee who's reading this and you are doing your job for the right reasons, continue to do so without expecting public recognition or applause. Because that's not really a reason to do anything, anyway.
Do the job.....Becuase that's why you're there.
Yes, just because you're there. And, just because you're there, also turn once more around as you allow Austin to place another dagger in your back. Because you're there......
What Austin does or doesn't do has little bearing on why I'm there. I will continue to do whatever I can to make things better and help those youth and families that are open to it. And I won't use 'Austin' as an excuse for when something goes wrong or doesn't get done.
If I can't be successful in my job because of what Austin does, I will be successful will be inspite of what Austin does.
Fools rush in....they never learn. You'll probably drain the Pacific Ocean next week-end. Right? Dreams are OK, but don't get too mixed with reality.
Thanks for your concern, but you don't know me well enough to make the assumptions you've made.
I'm not a fool and I'm not rushing into to anything.
This isn't about idealism. I'm to old for that.
I'm not dreaming or thinking about draining any oceans.
And I have a firm grip on reality thank you very much.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can always find something to bitch about....That's probably why blogs exist.
But the time spent bitching about Austin or Connections or the release review panel can be better spent doing something that might actually make a difference.
That's why I'm here. To do what I can do and try, as hard as it may be from time to time, not got too pissed off about things that I can't control.
If you're a TYC employees and you find that you spend most of your time bitching about things outside of your realm of influence, I would suggest that you may want to explore doing something else with your life.
If you're a former TYC employee and your here soley to bitch about TYC, I would ask why you haven't gotten on with the rest of your life.
It's time for me to stop posting on this subject...Because as a very wise person once told me, you can't outpuke a buzzard.
Take care.
Rumor is, TYC will be preforming brain research on volunteer employees. I bet your name is on the top of the list. They are also opening a sucker store at the Austin headquarters and need volunteers there also. Join me there, please.
I found a great deal of effective info here!
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