- Advocate: Abolishing TYC could be best fix, Texas Tribune
- Texas Youth Commission still plagued with problems, advocacy groups say, Austin Statesman
- Groups urge US inquiry into alleged assaults, lapses at Texas juvenile lockups, Dallas News
- Amid new abuse inquiry, TYC ombudsman resigns, Austin Statesman
The main allegations are:
- Inability to ensure safety of youth;
- Inadequate mental health care;
- Lack of educational programming;
- Inadequate special education programming; and,
- Over-Reliance on Short-Term Security & Lack of programming for youth in security (segregation).
Here's a copy of the letter (pdf) sent by advocates to the USDOJ, and TYC's response (pdf) to the charges.
I won't have time to follow up on these subjects until my vacation's over, but I suspect Grits readers will have a lot to say about these allegations and wanted to give you the opportunity.
.jpg)
92 comments:
This appears to validate the book "Raped by The State", which some TYCers stated was false. What will it take for the state to demand that youth stop being raped, abused and mishandled by TYC? The administration seems to continue with the same management scheme that took the agency to hell.
This about advocacy groups pushing their agenda, nothing else. If you believe this then Scott is a bible thumping conservative who listens to Rush every day :)
As I recall, only one of the culprits involved in the TYC sex scandal was prosecuted. Does this inactivity invite the remaining administrators to snub the law and legislature? It seems to be the case as TYC continues with the long standing culture of do as you please, cover for each other and damn with anyone else that questions their crimes.
When a person with the powerful background as the ombudsman has, can't stand the commission, its time to dissolve this state agency and the national disgrace that it is. No more excuses. No more bail-outs. No more cover-ups. Disband and start with something completely new with new people. Throw out the bad water and the bad people. Get a fresh, clean and untarnished start.
I think some of the stuff they are talking about is true. But the way these things are being written and handled by the advocacy groups and legislators certainly smack of politics.
It is incredible that Whitmire makes such decisive statements before he has had the opportunity to meet with TYC officials.
The TYC culture is still intact (the code of silence and loyalty). You have some of the same old power players surrounded by their long time loyal supporters. They still own TYC.
Central Office doesn't have a clue as to what is going on right under their nose. They just can't seem to grasp what happens when you turn a facility over to a tight little thuggish cabal.
TYC is very understaffed with professionals and many (clearly not all) staff have no interest in working for TYC other than a paycheck.
There are quality people in TYC but there are many staff that need to go.
TYC needs to downsize some and increase education requirements for people to work with staff.
The portrait that emerges from the full written complaint suggests that well-meaning reforms, and well-intended individuals, are struggling to overcome the physical limitations of the facilities themselves... and by extension, the social and behavioral norms dictated by those facilities.
It is clear that many significant improvements have been made, but problems remain. Some of them are little changed from problems of the past century:
Recruiting and retaining adequate professional staff in isolated rural facilities;
Providing individualized treatment within the constraints of "one-size fits all" programs such as Conextions appears to be;
Establising a rehabilitative environment in a max-secure, dorm-style facility.
These issues are practically identical to the ones identified by observers in the 1910s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s.
Will be interesting to see if this latest episode leads anywhere positive.
Bill Bush
The articles talk about a youth that received a broken jaw during a fight. The youth I know of that got his jaw broken at TYC was not in a fight. He and his friend were in the TV room watching cable. (Yes, TYC youth are so mistreated)
They were engaged in a popular TYC practice called the "choking game." This involves choking your partner so he will get a "high." Masturbation is sometimes involved during the game. However, he passed out, fell, and broke his jaw. Yeah, these are really just normal good kids that are being mistreated. I think Whitmire and some of you are right. They just need to shut down TYC and put them back in regular school with YOUR kids.
Send in the Marines, they will get the corrupt abusive guru mafia guards in line plus get that place on course.
7:09 TYCers never said that Raped by The State was false. They said it was an illiterate rant by a disgruntled ex-employee whose job it was to protect the rights of the youth and failed.
The agency went from 4500 youth down to 1600 youth. These 1600 youth are all felons and have many chances before the committing court. They are not being mistreated but it is apparent when you have a program in place, "CoNextions" that does not offer any real tools for those youth who abuse, assault, their peers and the staff, that a problem exists. These same youth are allowed to continue their behavior with no real consequences for their actions and this is where the problem exists. These youth do not care for incentives like being allowed to watch television, or write mom and dad an extra letter. But the ones who adopted this program cannot see this and are blinded by their own beliefs that a one size fits all program is what the reforms meant. You can spend a day on the campus I work at and see that the campus is not out of control and rampant abuse is not the norm. But I will also tell you as will all my co-workers that we need tools to work with these aggressive youth who care not for privileges.
The Counties do not want these youth and this is why they are at TYC.
7:46 a.m., it's a given that the kids don't care about consequences. This is due primarily to their age, and lack of opportunities. You can't blame the kids, they are there for a holding place and presumably to set them on a (non-institutionalized) path as good citizens.
You can't blame the staff who work with them. Some are just there for a job/paycheck (wouldn't we all love to have dream jobs) and some go in it because they think they can make a difference (only to realize the near impossibility).
I recently re-read Perry's guy, Jay Kimbrough's (2007) statement (http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/about/conservator_report.html) on his couple of months TYC fix. You can't "reorganize" a corrupt institution. It has to be dismantled, the legislative oversight (ha!) has to be dismantled. A new organization needs to replace it. A Public Agency. For the kids.
8/27/2010 06:48:00 AM
Did the author of Raped by The State fail?
He was up against the tight-knit A Team who were at the top of their game and undefeated for 20 years. Some call them "the untouchables" and others said they were a "cabal." You take your pick, either term seems to fit perfectly.
Cabal: A conspiratorial group of plotters or intriguers.
"In the short term, Fowler says, the DOJ could help TYC officials ensure the safety of young inmates. In the long term, though, she says real change may require lawmakers to consider abolishing the troubled agency altogether."
Conservatives should support getting rid of TYC. Why should the taxpayer spend so much money on these animals?
After serving TYC for many years, I still see the same old practice of "protecting" staff at the expense of full truth. The same protection is extended down from the top management if you are in on the "protection". Mgt wants the perception to be that big strides have been made, but spend a day or two on the campus of Crockett, Corsicana, Giddings, etc. Spend an evening on the dorms. Follow the groups of youth moving across campus and watch staff's interactions. The allegations made by Texas Appleseed and Advocacy, Inc. should be investigaged by outside professionals with no vested interest in staff "protection".
According to the Dallas Morning News, the author did not fail. He was a major component in causing the removal of the top TYC leaders that allowed the corrosion and implosion of the agency. Whether you like his book or not, he and his book contributed to the reforms placed into action by the state lege. I say 'thanks for your courage and good luck with your book'.
BRINGING IN NEW PEOPLE IS NOT THE ANSWER.BRINGING IN KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE.JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE SO CALLED PROGRAM DEVELOPERS DIDN'T LAST A YEAR.THE SO CALLED CONEXTIONS PROGRAM HAS NEVER BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO THE FRONT LINE STAFF.ASK AROUND ANY CAMPUS AND ASK THEM IF THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONEXTION PROGRAM.HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM FIT THE NEEDS OF SENTENCED OFFENDERS.THIS PROGRAM IS FICTIOUS FOR LONG TERM OFFENDERS.PUT SOMEONE IN CHARGE OF TREATMENT THAT DON'T MIND SPENDING TIME TRAINING STAFF AND STUDENTS ABOUT THE TREATMENT PROGRAM.WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF PEOPLE WHO WRITE PROGRAMS AND DON'T LEAVE BEHIND FROM THEIR CENTRAL OFFICE DESKS TO HELP ADMINISTER THEIR PROGRAM.
Randy, there was no conspiracy. None of those people were that smart. You said as much in your book. You were part of the team, and you have no moral authority to throw stones, yet you keep trying to sell that book. Learn to write, then write about something else. For those of us who lost their jobs, and unlike you, didn't get to retire, we're a little tired of hearing you pat yourself on the back, when we know the truth. Yes, the promotion was given to someone who was a better brown-noser, but Mickey would have been choice, anyway. Get over it.
Dorsal fins have been spotted circling TYC again. To mix metaphors, when does that gut shot dino stumble into the tar pit?
4:15: Sounds like you need to get over it. Your failure to plan your career and future falls at your feet rather than at others. I believe they call that 'projection', when one can't accept their own misdeeds and blames others for their life failures. Yes, do get over it, as the rest of us don't accept your excuses for your poor life. You make your own bed, true?
TYC will never be right. Many innocent, knowledgeable, and dedicated employees lost their jobs during the "reform" because of false allegations and some for having been arrested many years prior (that TYC knew about when they were hired). Albeit, some of the things that went on with other employees were true, and they deserved to be thrown out the gates and prosecuted. The problem is that one particular innocent employee was ousted and God spoke to that person and told him that vengeance would be His, and that person went on about living his life and walking in faith. The day of reckoning has come. TYC will forever be in disrepair until the Agency is abolished and built on a new foundation.
...These same youth are allowed to continue their behavior with no real consequences for their actions and this is where the problem exists. These youth do not care for incentives like being allowed to watch television, or write mom and dad an extra letter. But the ones who adopted this program cannot see this and are blinded by their own beliefs...
The Legislature didnt help any when they put the 'youth must go on their minimum length of stay' into place. Now the youth get away with any actions and dont want the help offered. They just want to do their 'time'.
How sad!
Can any of you geniuses identify an existing program anywhere that "works" with these "worst of the worse" kids? I'd be damned interested to hear about it. We all know the problems but are very short on viable solutions. What programs at what cost to adopt best practices and evidence based programs that focuses on positive outcomes. I'm waiting.
Resocialization should have never been stopped. It was working for the most part. In 2006, the Resocialization program combined with the new privileges program, as well as youth having the possibility of staying past their MLOS was working fine. All the knee jerk reactions to bogus parent complaints doomed the Agency.
I agree. Resocialization should have never been stopped. Tweaked maybe to make it better - but never stopped. I have seen 10 times the positive results compared to what there is now - which is basically none.
Yes, back then they werent just giving them their levels or phases, they had to earn them! And if they didnt, it just meant longer time. After missing a level, they got the picture!
Were any team playars RIF'ed. No. If you were Rif'ed the TYC team chiefs were telling you something. Like good riddance. They say some were RIF'ed twice. When you are told you are not wanted, why stick around for more knots to the knoggen? Some deserved a RIF and some earned it. The TYC team chiefs are rather picky and demand true loyalty to their cause(which does not include youth concerns). Simple but the present day status at TYC.
How about a good ole boy colon cleanse for Texas? That should fix all the problems in this ass backward state.
Please read:
TYC board says complaints of abuse are off base.
In Friday's Austin American Statesman.
"The Texas Youth Commission's top officials Friday blasted as misleading and untrue allegations by four leading advocacy groups who have called for a federal investigation into evidence of continuing assaults and lack of care in the state's juvenile corrections system.
....the advocates' letter to the Department of Justice contains overly broad and inflammatory accusations that ignore and dismiss out-of-hand the vast improvements we have made over the past two years with safeguards and programming that match best practices nationwide," the Rev. Scott Fisher, chairman of the seven-member board, said in a statement he read at a board meeting in Austin."
The Rev. is a liar or he is being misled by TYC Management. Gov. Perry you have a problem...again!
12:18
"These same youth are allowed to continue their behavior with no real consequences for their actions and this is where the problem exists."
Well put!
Hey Rev. Fisher, the 2007 TYC Board Chairman said the same thing. See what happened with that Board. Maybe you should have just said that the new allegations are a great concern with the Board, and they will be fully investigated. That would have been more PC. That defensive tone in your response to the media does nothing for you and your buddy Gov. Perry. In fact, it would not surprise me if Gov. Perry replaced you promptly with a new lapdog. Something must be going on for the new Ombudsman to jump ship already. Bill White should jump all over this!
Just thinking about the TYC Board and TYC management wants one to 'throw-up'. This is just like when Harris was in charge and his cronies dominated the agency. Why are you people blind? Their runious veins are still in TYC and direct each day. Wake up.....back before the slave days overtake us all like Mr O wants.
I find it interesting that the board can make any comments about what is going on in TYC. I don't think they have been to any of the facilities outside of central Texas.
To right the wrongs in TYC, the Moss Group came in and went to all of the facilities to assess the status of the PREA implementation effort. That quickly grew into an exercise in assessing youth and staff culture. They unearthed some interesting findings regarding strengths and challenges (their word for problems) in the facilities but in typical TYC fashion, nothing will come of their report. That would mean that the powers-that-be would have to admit that everything they claim to have fixed is a gigantic lie.I think Ms. T. is being real in wanting to make changes but she is kept in the dark about what's really happening by three of the big boys in C. O. and in the regions.
And ain't it funny that when it comes time to cut staff, it's the field that takes the big hits, while C. O. gets bigger and bigger while schools struggle to have enough staff to make coverage.
Everybody blames Dwight. But hasn't he been gone almost 4 yrs.? Sorry folks this is one the new regime and their high dollar, experts (and those came after conservatorship - Is that even legal?) with no TYC experience whatsoever, whose agendas have more to do with keeping the big paychecks and perks rather than helping kids.
You'd have thought we would have learned by now. Not!!!!!!!!!!!!
07:12:00 PM, they do face consequences. We're talking about some dumb kids who are really screwing up their future but just don't give a shit.
I wish they could just be exhiled to some other country...but not gonna happen.
The best thing that can happen to these kids is that they straighten up and walk the line.
The second best thing that can happen to em is to just be killed by other criminal kids.
Anonymous 8/27/2010 09:05:00 AM said...
"You can't blame the staff who work with them. Some are just there for a job/paycheck (wouldn't we all love to have dream jobs)"
Yeah, what a dream job. I used to compare it to a lion-tamers job. But no, it's not the same. A lion tamer gets to use a whip, a chair, and a gun.
Some TYC employees did use whips and chairs on disruptive youth. That's one reason for the reforms and now bigger problems with the 'reformers'. Sorry, but you still can't kill and cause injury. In theory).
Culture - The values or basic assumptions that people of a society or organization hold about how one ought to think and behave.
The culture of TYC has not changed. There is a great deal of truth in the recent reports from the advocacy groups.
Morgan Freeman said it best in the movie 'Lean on Me'. 'If you can't control it, how can you teach.
Reference to the unprofesional conduct all that is to be said is that there is no substitute for effective supervision. This and real accoountability on TYC facilities is still desperately needed for true reform to be successful.
BB
BB, while you are making these broad based statements when was the last time you stepped foot on a campus (TYC)?????
You are one of those few that read and believe everything you read and have no real hands on experience but would rather write about what you think might have occurred. Please take the time and spend actually doing the work rather than writing about it, you just might get some believers.
Hogwash. TYC folks dig hard to find any way to discredit others views. BB is a good example. TYC could find fault with an angel if the angle pointed out a problem with TYC. The culture will never change until TYC is dissolved and a completely new agency with all new staff is created. Too many are tainted unfavorably in the present corrupt atmosphere.
Um... just to be clear, "BB" is not me.
Bill Bush
One thing the advocacy groups got right was that "High numbers of youth-on-youth assaults continue to plague the agency's lockups."
One secret these groups will never admit to is that a large number of these assaults on students and on staff members are racially motivated. White youth and staff are fair game for Black youth and no one will admit to this.
If it were the other way around, the advocacy groups and the media would be shouting from the rooftops and you would hear no end of it. They would label it as hate crimes. Since Whites are targeted because of their race we don't hear a word about it.
That is because white folks owe the blacks for history of mistreatment. This feeling of entitlement will never end and will eventually break the country.
The ole race card rears its ugly head...the problem is not race. It is competency of TYC employees, and it starts at the top. It is time for another overhaul or its time to disband this entire Agency and start over.
No, a BIG part of it IS race. Go spend some time in Al Price. All you people get on here and make idiotic comments, and you don't have a clue what it's all about. Go spend some time on a unit, and then come here and make an informed comment for a change.
Although, there is definitely a competency problem in Austin.
Boy - you can bet on a lack of competency. Because of a recent decision in Austin central office to send all teachers to two training conferences at the last minute, the units will lose out on summer school money that the legislature funds TYC. They were questionably unnecessary, and one of them might have even been done for free by the education service centers.
The race problems started with the Dwight regieme. They have continued and probably are worse in some units. They take advantage of the situation and others are afraid to stand up to them or their backers in Austin. If you don't know about the situation, you are part of the problem, or simply don't give a damn.
Racially motivated assaults is the biggest secret at TYC. No one will talk about it. It doesn't fit their agenda.
Did Henson turn over editing/delete functions to these advocacy groups? My comment didn't make it, and it supported TYC...
Nothing critical - just the truth from when I was there.
God forbid, we tell the truth folks. Those who tried in 07 met Whitmire and Ward.
We all know about Ward's ex Wife turning towards the pink pastures of life and finding her queen, and that must have been embarassing huh Mike.
Wasn't TYC Mike. Look a little lower to get your answer - stump.
7:24,
rather than waiting why don't you look. Not all of TYC is bad. Some facilities and specialized treatment programs have strong recidivism rates.
Let me see. Who do I trust least, TYC or liberal advocacy groups and the liberal media? A toss-up.
Actually, the articles in the papers were pretty accurate. It's a corrections problem. There is a big riff between corrections and education. Education can't really do their job unless correction does theirs.
SOS=TYC. Each department blames the other for their own failures. TYC will never get ahead with all the back-stabbing and placing blame on others. Lege, please dissolve all associated with this useless agency of trash.
I have had an opportunity to read both Advocacy's complaint and TYC response. I find that both are blind men describing the elephant. I have worked for TYC for many years and I have familiarity with the culture of these institutions.
Let me give you an example of how both Advocacy and TYC can describe the same event and reach a different conclusion. Yes the school day has expanded and priniciples have a great deal of experience however there is such a severe shortage of teachers that school cannot be held at the school and teachers are sent to the cottages where few educational resources are available and little learning takes place. So technically they have expanded the lenght of the school day.
The same has occurred for the licensed professionals that are running the programs at Corsicana and the other state schools. While Adovacy can report there are no licensed psychologist and a psychiatrist on campus 17 hours per week they are absolutely correct. However TYC can say that a licensed psychologist at Mart provides supervision to the two unlicensed psychologists and the other 13 hours of psychiatric time is delivered by a doc in the box otherwise know as tele-medicine.
So what we really have is TYC blowing sunshine up your dress while Advocacy groups are saying it is a snakepit. I believe that an independant agency such as the DOJ really should be reviewing TYC since this is an ongoing issue despite the attempts at reform. The agency to its credit has attempted to get some perspective by hiring a consultant group. To the best of my information that report has yet to be made public if it is completed.
Please, just unplug the life support and let TYC completely die. It has overlived its time and can't be revived. Done. Get over the grief..let it just die.
"Every young person we asked said they did not feel safe," the lawyers wrote.
Yes, the old safety factor. TYC cut it's inmate population by what 50%, 60%, 70%? Guess who is left in TYC? You guessed right, it's the bad actors who now have the place mostly to themselves and they are not exactly into being reformed or being intervened with.
They are not real inhibited when it comes to administering their version of justice to snitches, weak minded chumps and the like.
With a permissive new treatment program they are even less inhibited.
Once again, I need to know how the advocacy groups got this information. Since there's nothing to the contrary, I'm assuming the interviews went as usual: "Hello, I'm from a group that makes sure incarcerated kids are not mistreated. Do you feel safe?" If all they did was interview youth, the feedback is predictable. The TYC Board is, I think, rightly upset that the agency is being excoriated based simply on allegations contained in complaints that were elicited from the youth! Nothing here has been substantiated or proven. Why doesn't Mike Ward do a little balanced reporting for once? This is all too familiar.
If the advocacy groups have to justify their existence, why don't they do some investigating themselves? They should get themselves hired as JCOs. If TYC is as rotten as they believe, they'll have evidence within a few days. I dare them.
XTYC
XTYC--At the facility that I am at, all I saw them interview was youth, the youth were brought to them to interview and then they only met with the youth for maybe 5 to 10 minutes each. I did not see them even go around to the different dorms to see how the facility runs or the interaction of the youth.
XTYC - Why would anyone be dumb enough to hire out to TYC thesedays? You're outta touch.
Anon 11:28
The idea behind hiring on to TYC is so that you find out things from the inside. We all know that when someone shows up to "look around" or "inspect" they'll get a dog and pony show. Whether staff or juveniles, they all put on the face that they want the investigator to see.
If we don't know that someone is inspecting us, we'll be ourselves, and the truth can be found. So if an advocacy group or other investigator wanted the truth, they'd go in under cover and just watch and listen. I know I learned a lot about my juveniles just by listening when they thought I wasn't paying attention (I was a case manager, not a line staff, so settle down with the neglect allegation).
Sounds like you've been around quiet a while and haven't done much for the kids or TYC. By the way line staff are not the only ones guilty of child abuse. There were several above that level that mistreated kids; only you really know the truth. You seem to wear a really white hat. You may want to hire a PI on your own to solve TYCs problems.
2:22, if your comment was aimed at me, I'll point out that after spending 4 years not being able to change things for the better, I decided my time and energies were better spent elsewhere. TYC won't get fixed until the politicians wake up and do their job instead of thumping their chests and making things worse with all their knee jerks.
If you are referring to someone else, please clarify. All these people posting as anonymous without at least a tag name at the end makes it hard to tell who is who (aside from Randy).
Child molestion is child molestion, however you try to disguise yourself. It seems obvious that you are worried about your behavior with young people. Try prayer. I can't forgive your transpasses against young vunarable kids but you are apppear to be an abuser. Slither back to your hole and die. Adios scum.
222: You don't sleep well, do you? You were the ones that watched the youth abuse and turned the left eye. Burn in hell. You allowed the youth to be tortured as you drew your pay check and beat your chest in triumpth, as if you actually helped one youth. Dirt! Slither away since you know how you failed youth you were responsible for. You are a fool. Your job was used to suck young people dry and lead them astray. Does yout family even respect you?
Some of these posts sound like psycho-talk.
No one respected Ranty Chance then nor do they now.
See Ranty Rant?
Rant Randy Rant.
I don't know Ranty but you appear to be a smart yet obvious child abuser. It takes us time but we will get you also. Get a hint to where you now abuse kiddos. You know you like the interest and incest.
TYC for got that before you can do treatment.You have to interupt their negative behaviors.No Behavior Treatment Program.No treatment program will work.We haven't had a treatment program since Mr.D.Davis and his behavior management team was ousted.At least we had a program that the majority supported.Where is Mr.Davis?I hear they ousted him out and will not allow him to return.That's TYC for you.They forget about the pioneers of this agency.
Is Whitmire a supporter of Bill White? Are the members of these groups?
Grits is going to regret leaving this comment thread open for so long. The poo-flinging trolls are out in force. It really sucks that a TYC thread can't last more than a few minutes without degenerating into crap.
Maybe someone can accuse me of being a child-molester for saying that.
03:44:00 PM
You are right. I suspect that some members of the TYC old guard are using a strategy to discredit criticism of the agency and of their past record.
It goes like this: when people start posting critical comments about TYC they start throwing poo and making wild and absurd statements about TYC to make it look as if those who are critical are unhinged. This creates the impression that criticism is unjustified. By doing this, they create a smoke screen to hide behind.
I also suspect that some who criticize the agency sometimes go over board and thus discredit their points.
03:44- You present deep feeling of guilt about these posts. Why are you here? If you are so bothered it seems you may be afraid of being exposed. You may need to evaluate yourself and the job you do, especially if you are around younger people. Change your suroundings before you do soemthing you may regret. You may need professional guidance. Good luck with your search for secrecy and deception, if that is the problem.
Thanks for the comic relief, 7:39!!!
Oh wait, you were serious...
How many females did you have sex with while working with juveniles? Enough said.
Thanks chunxue, that’s the most intelligent commit anyone has made on a tyc Grits post. The tyc covering up culture of mentally, physically, sexually, verbally abusing the throw away children of Texas for 120+ years and getting better at it every day.
Government emps, team playas, hillbillies with a tan trying to be ghetto, verbally abusing children in the name of treatment. I think it was better when a dorm man would not speak to a kid but knock him upside the head. Today’s state government employees and all that goes with that label verbally abusing kids in the name of treatment is causing more harm than good. I’m surprised more youth on staff assaults aren’t reported. I know we state boys back in the day sure as hell wouldn’t have put up with those babbling bafoons tyc calls staff today.
Turman now there was a real tyc pioneer. lol
Sheldon #47333 II c/s
I'm always amazed at these TYC folks that pretend no child abuse happened and also pretend they knew nothing about the abuse; which was all around them. No see, no know, just draw paycheck, screw kids.
The ones that really get me are the ones that state they are 'professionals', and do unthinkable things to young adults while pretending to be above any misconduct, because of their positions. Yeh, right TYC.
Its time to Shut all of it down, Students in Brownwood are not being taught Teachers are signing papers that they are not qualified to do. The Kids can do whatever they want on that campus with no rules or regulations. Its Sad that the Agency is disolving right in front of our eyes. The Youth In Texas Deserve more than what they are getting .
Ever since the spotlight focused on TYC in 2007 we have been afraid to maintain minimal order or discipline.
Working for TYC was tough. I've moved on and life still goes on. All I know is that I met some wonderful people. For all those throwing stones at the agency I want to quote Woody Allen "Be fruitful and multiply, but not in those words."
NASTY = typical TYC.
This whole notion of "evidence based practices" is a joke, some times, some places and some parts for certain programs work, but these supposed programs only work in a perfect world. It's developed by phd's who only expertise is in doing research, not common sense, practical implementation. It's true there are a lot of bad apples in TYC and there doesnt seem to be very much accountability, nothing will change until they get control of these kids. The level of control(or lack of) they have over these kids is dangerous.
True reform can only occur when the leaders and ex-leaders are behind bars and TYC is fully and completely closed.
"This appears to validate the book "Raped by The State", which some TYCers stated was false."
We never said anything was false but always wondered why someone with a youth rights specialist attached to his/her name never spoke up and defended the right from the wrong, and why the WTSS could never hire a person who could communicate in proper english what was occurring out there, much less report it like the "non-paid volunteer" did to the Texas Ranger.
Ought to tell the reader a lot about the farce behind "Raped by The State".
Can someone reach the handle already? This turd floats on and continues to stink up the joint.
Your envy can't be hidden by distastful comments.
208am: Isn't it true that most youth are abused after midnight when staff and YOU are on state computers at 2am in the morning, rather than checking on youth that should be in beds?
i recently resigned after 20 years with TYC due to hostile and unsafe working conditions--as well as unrealistic job expectations- TYC is a useless agency that needs to be shut down- the reforms aren't being implemented- wake up and quit dreaming-my advice to TYC staff is to start looking for another job- it's fixing to come to a sudden stop- i know some people in Austin-
I'm right behind 213: You TYC people better listenup and get out while you have something. Very soon, very soon, you will have nothing. TYC is about to dissolve and only the well connected will get anything from this once decent agency. Its quitting time....really.
My son was injured in tyc and has dealt with mistreatment.But i do reconize staff that are doing there job's just caught up in the middle.And I'am thankful for Advocacy's out there and Randel's book.He talk's of the mistreatment,but he also talks of alot of good staff.And as far as the race issue's yes its there wich is sad everyone of the kid's are in the the same place for the same reason poor choices.And one day our flesh will be in the dirt but the inner man know's no color. And my white grandchild and black grandchild and mexican grandchild I hope and pray fair treatment for all the way I love them all the same.And those of you that feel the Youth have no consciquences is wrong just being away from family is very dramatic and punishing to some.Do feel the board should try visiting the facilty's.Do feel staff still follow the code of silence.Do feel it senseless to put all these trouble of the agency on the Youth If noone ever got abused then we would not even be having this dicussion right now.No one should be blamed for the trouble happening but the bad apple's.I have seen some posivtive change in the agency since 2007.But I see it's been a very slow process.
Post a Comment