Monday, March 07, 2011

Briefing on TYC-TJPC merger Tuesday

Those looking forward to learning more about the proposed merger between the Texas Youth Commission and the Juvenile Probation Commission, here's the event for you, at least before we get to the big hearing on Wednesday. Via email press release:
Special media briefing tomorrow on TYC/Juvenile Justice Reform with Chairman Madden and Advocates
 
Who:
Rep. Jerry Madden (R-Plano), Chairman, House Corrections Committee; Deborah Fowler, Texas Appleseed; Marc Levin, Texas Public Policy Foundation
 
What & Why:
Media briefing to discuss pending juvenile justice reform, including Madden’s bill to consolidate the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (HB 1915). This measure appears to be a continuation of the Legislature’s TYC reform efforts of relying less on remote, ineffective facilities, and instead using more local, community-based corrections and treatment alternatives that have been shown to improve public safety, improve youth outcomes, and reduce costs.
 
This briefing is to prep reporters in advance of Wednesday’s House Corrections Committee which will hear Madden’s HB 1915 upon adjournment. Madden has indicated that this bill will change throughout the committee process as a result of feedback from others, and this briefing will address those and other issues.
 
Please note that this is an informal briefing, and participants will be available for extended questions and discussions with the media. Lunch will be provided.
 
Where:
Texas state capitol, 3W.9 (3rd Floor Conference Room above the Speaker’s Office)

When:
March 8, 2011, 12:00 Noon or upon House adjournment, whichever is later.
I suspect the event will be available online via livestream. I'll post a link in an update to this post when it's available.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope things will change. The current bill is nothing.

Anonymous said...

Texas Buget Source stated "Whitmire said with the savings in juvenile justice he would like to pour it into diversion and treatment programs in the adult prison system."

Is that correct?

Anonymous said...

If you actually believe this new agency will save as much money as they say it will save, I've got some prime Florida swampland to sell you at a very reasonable price. Or some bridges in NYC.

Anonymous said...

What is the asking price? The state knows its business better than blog guessers. Whitmire is a specialist in this area and will bring this to the correct end. Finally.

Anonymous said...

change the current tyc executive board.every thing is lilly white.this is what was wanted all of the time.i guess maybe with the merger maybe some people of color will be promoted to leadership positions.james smith must lonely being the only african american on the new tyc board.i guess brookins was the only child molester found guilty.he took the fall and the white guy probably got an apology for slandering his name.not meant to be an insult to anyone but people of color have been makeing this a well discipline agency.

Anonymous said...

Lets see, Dwight Harris, Chester Clay, were men of color in years pass (just 5 years ago).
James Smith is currently the #3 person in charge, Toysha Martin Head Counsel, color has nothing to do with leadership or the lack thereof with TYC. Getting the right leadership, a true leader, is the answer and this has always been a challenge.
Move away from your issues of race, the days of 40 acres and a mule are far gone, last time I checked the president, who was elected by the people is a man of color.

Anonymous said...

Well said. Color is just that...color. Last I checked, white/black; yeah,colors...

A leader, is within. And in all instances breaks those medioacrate ways of thinking from medioacrate followers.

Anonymous said...

Under Harris, color is what brought TYC to its deathbed. Harrison, Brookins, other top dogs of his.

Anonymous said...

TYC HAS NEVER BEEN ON A DEATH BED.WHAT AFFECTED TYC THE MOST WAS PANIC.SURE THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE AGENCY.THESE PROBLEMS WERE NOT UNFIXABLE.WE AS AN AGENCY STUCK TOGETHER AND ERASED CRUEL STANDARDS THAT WERE PRACTICED AT GATESVILLE.THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE ABUSED THAT GOES UNREPORTED.WE COULD HAVE FIXED THE MAJORITY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT EXISTED WITHIN THE AGENCY.WHEN I WORKED AT THE MOUNTAINVIEW UNIT.THE ABUSE OF KIDS HARDLY EXISTED.MOST OF THE OLD TIMERS THAT WERE TRAINED TO ADMINISTER CORPAL PUNISHMENT WERE GONE.TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY MEETING WITH KIDS AND TRAINING STAFF ON BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT.THE CULTURE WAS SAFER THAN IT IS NOW.ABUSE OF KIDS WERE BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.THE MEDIA TRIED TO MAKE THINGS LOOK AS THOUGH KIDS WERE AFRAID TO REPORT ABUSE.THIS WAS A LIE.KIDS HAD ACESS TO THE GRIEVANCE SYSTEM AND AT TIMES ABUSED THIS SYSTEM.WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN REPORTES OR CETRAL OFFICE PERSONELL OR NEW STAFF FACES APPEAR ON CAMPUSES.THE STUDENTS LOVE TO GET IN THE LIME LITE.THEY BAND TOGETHER AND BEGIN GIVING A LOT OF FALSE STATEMENTS.IF WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS OBTAINED FROM STUDENTS WHEN THE SO CALLED SCANDALL ERUPTED.WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE EVIDENCE WAS PROVEN TO BE THE TRUTH.LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY THE AGENCY SPENT OF TRYING TO REPLACE THE STAFF THAT WERE FIRED.WE HAVE PAID OUT PROBALLY A FOURTH OF THE AGENCIES BUDGET EXPERIMENTING ON HIRING EXECUTIVE STAFF.WE HAVE SPENT ALOT OF MONEY ON CONSERATIVE SHIP,MULTIPLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS,AND EXECUTIVE STAFF THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG.PROGRAMS WERE ADDED AND DELETED.WHEN WE DON'T HAVE AN EXECUTIVE TEAM THAT ISN'T IN SYNC.THIS CAUSES CONFUSION AMONG LINE STAFF AND THE CLIENTELL.I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THIS AGENCY AND ALWAYS WILL.WHAT EVER IT TAKES TO GET THIS AGENCY BACK TO BEING A NATIONAL POWER.WE NEED TO STOP COMPLAINING AND START SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.

Anonymous said...

Yeh, and you need to face reality and get off whatever you are obviously on. Your type of thinking brought on our deathbed existance. Support the cause, even when wrong to the death.

Anonymous said...

Everyone is excited about a merger.What experienced leaders are we going to use when we merge.Adding Parole staff to make things work is a good idea if we have enough dedicated staff to help train Parole staff that have limited direct childcare experience.I hope that we do a better job of training staff on behavior management and what ever treatment program we will be useing.The agency has always done a good job of initiating programs.It's the lack of having a follow -up program that has hurt the agency.I wonder how many ouside experts will be hired this time and how many existing executive staff will bite the dust.

Anonymous said...

Bring in all outside experts. The current corrupt abusers and dim wits need to be replaced. Their past records ruined these agencies. Go now with new-clean experts that can clean away the past and current crud that wraps the currenr administrations. Go Clean...dump the past!

Anonymous said...

With this merger, hopefully, there will be new administrators without an agenda, an end to retaliation & cover up and preferential hiring & firing practices. Perhaps this new agency will value its employees, we can only hope! Pray that the legislature has really thought this out and will produce an agency that will protect the youth, provide educational services, vocational and college courses and a program that will teach youth responsibility, self esteem, values and tools necessary to become productive members of society. A treatment program that will provide consequences for inappropriate actions. On the other side of the coin, the employees should undergo training before being allowed to supervise the youth. Including classes in mutual respect, integrity, responsibility, values and good old fashioned manners in dealing with each other and youth. This country is in bad shape because most have forgotten that it takes a village to raise a child.

The problems in TYC have be a result of the good ole boy/gal program. The promotion of friends no matter what, ruined the agency.
The state knows its business is correct but they fail to know the people in the trenches or solicit input from the field peons. Administrators always tell what they want to hear, simple but true. Hopefully the new agency will spin off in the correct direction and monitoring should be strict, not just for 2/3 years at a time or when a scandal crops up.
Youth and employees should be provided with a safe environment. God needs to be front and center and the whole village needs to help. Thanks from a mom.

Anonymous said...

Sooooootrue. Thanks mom. Sack a bunch of TYC administraidiots.

Anonymous said...

I don't mean to pry fellow bloggers, but what's the latest on what state schools are closing? Do tell.

Anonymous said...

i totally agree that the good old boy and gal syndrome needs to be abolished.what got us set back was the back stabbing and lieing that central office staff did to each other when the scandall first started.staff that were left in central office at that time started bad mouthing central office staff to try and gain prestise for themselves.These back stabbing staff were warranted temporary executjve positions and lter replaced by outsiders.

Anonymous said...

Crockett, Corsicana, and Al Price are the first three to hit the chopping block! More will follow. There will only be two maybe three facilities left open. Employees at the facilities that will be closing will not be able to transfer to other facilities. So, if you are at the three listed, it's past time to start looking for a new job!

Anonymous said...

Brownwood and Evins should be next to close. Talk about a joke. When these units get cerified by ACA, then we all know ACA means nothing these days. More pony shows to deceive the public.

Anonymous said...

3/10/2011 7:40:00 AM- What's the math behind that?

Anonymous said...

I work in CO but this issue is secret, or supposed to be. Many employees want find the details until it is too late, so beware of coming events. Prepare since there will be many surprises at the last minute for some people. Sorry, but you must look out for yourself during these miserable times.

Anonymous said...

How long have you been working in CO? You must be new or you would know that there are NO secrets kept. The only time a secret will ever be kept in CO is when Cherie is the last one to walk that fat ass out the door and hand the keys over to Vicki Spriggs.

Anonymous said...

Old Salty, what do you make of this? What about all of the talented people among our agency widespread? Will they have an opportunity to provide their services?

Anonymous said...

What a misfortune. They had their chance and didn't use it.