Sunset hearing today considers TYC, juvie probation

The Sunset Commission is meeting this morning and will soon begin public hearings related to the Texas Youth Commission and the Juvenile Probation Commission. (See the video streamed here, and also the staff report [pdf] from Sunset staff on TYC and earlier Grits coverage.)

No doubt Sunset will delve more deeply into the question of closing TYC facilities in the face of a yawning budget gap. Notably, last week TYC executive director Cherie Townsend, in an email to staff, listed other budget cutting options the agency is considering:

We anticipate forming a group next week composed of a cross section of staff from central office and the field to review options that might include:

• holding open all non-critical vacant positions,
• further reducing staff travel, purchasing even fewer vehicles this year than estimated with the previous directives,
• analyzing the potential reduction of telephone landlines and costs,
• consider adjusting mileage reimbursement at a lower allowable limit
• limit youth intakes from counties at Orientation and Assessment to three days per week,
• temporarily adjusting overtime payment thresholds, and consolidating certain youth populations,
• limiting the use of contract residential care to the current average daily population, and
• other ideas generated by employees.