AUSTIN – Today, the board of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) announced closure of three juvenile correctional facilities: Al Price State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Beaumont, Crockett State School in Crockett and Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex Unit II in Brownwood. Additionally, McLennan County StateJuvenile Correctional Facility Units I and II in Mart will be consolidated. Leading juvenile justice advocacy organizations in the state—Texans Care for Children, Texas Appleseed, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and Disability Rights Texas—jointly released the following statement in response:
Although these facilities are being closed in response to the 82nd Legislature’s budget decision to remove $117 million from TYC, shuttering lock-ups has the potential to be positive for Texas. Institutionalizing youth is ineffective and expensive. For most youth, community-based treatment works better than institutional lock-ups in efforts to reduce recidivism, and it comes at a lower cost to taxpayers. Indeed, when Texas has reduced the number of youths in institutions in the past, the result has been both lower costs and greater public safety. Today Texas has an opportunity to continue recent momentum toward making rehabilitation central in juvenile corrections.
What is not yet known is what will happen to the hundreds of youth housed in the three facilities that will be closed today—whether they will be moved to the remaining seven facilities or served in other ways. The agency has flexibility to de-institutionalize many of these youths, including specialized populations, such as those with mental health issues. In these instances, TYC is authorized to re-direct youth into community-based services, such as those offering mental health treatment.
Other youth could also reside in non-secure settings, such as halfway houses appropriate for youth who are nonviolent and low-risk, and those who have already made significant rehabilitative progress at TYC. We look forward to working with the agency and the legislature to support the maximum use of this flexibility to de-institutionalize youth and to ensure rehabilitative needs are met.
If youth are simply moved to remaining facilities, the agency, Legislature and public should expect conditions inside facilities to worsen. Youth lock-ups that house more youth are more likely to have staff-on-youth, youth-on-youth and youth-on-staff violence, like what the state saw prior to the TYC reforms initiated in 2007. Returning to those conditions would undo what progress has been made and create a shaky start for the new Texas Juvenile Justice Department, set to replace TYC and TJPC later this year under SB 653 by Whitmire.My condolences to those who'll lose their jobs. I know this has been hard on everyone involved, but at least now everybody can make plans and move forward. The downsizing of Texas youth prisons even as juvenile crime continued to drop has been a remarkable achievement, despite the tumultuous atmosphere it's created at the agency. Let's hope that good fortune continues as Texas' juvenile justice agencies are merged and the Juvenile Justice Department's new leaders are chosen.
MORE: Thanks to a reader for pointing to TYC board materials posted online about facility closures.
See related MSM coverage:
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170 comments:
God's will is undeniable! Crockett is closing because it has been a cesspool of lies and hatred. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for some of the good folks that will loose their jobs at Crockett. Unfortunately, the evil doers outnumbered you. Lies ruined careers, lies caused pain, failure to stand up to those that did you wrong led to this dad day. I pray for the good in the community and that they will be able to make a rebound from this closing. It's sad, but the day that I was told to leave Crockett State School for good, God spoke to my heart and said that vengeance would be his. That day has come!
Such venom!
I agree, the snakes are bad at Crockett! They also strike from behind and bite you on your back.
When leaving Al Price, please be sure to take the decades of contraband with you. All marijuana should be loaded at the back gate, and all cocaine will be loaded at the front gate. Sayonara!
The statement released by Texans Care for Children, Texas Appleseed, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and Disability Rights Texas is a bunch of BS. They are just trying to get the little hoodlums a get out of jail free card since these facilities are closing. I really need to find out what kind of dipsticks are running these advocacy groups. I am surprised S.M.with the TCRP hasn't chimed in with his want to save the world, I am queer, I am here get used to it self, and thrown some stupid comment in the paper announcing a suit being filed to get these delinquents sprung early. It's probably coming soon!
Cherie's comment: "I wanted each of you to hear this news directly from me as soon as possible. These continue to be challenging times but I ask that each of you continue to commit yourselves daily to the important work we do."
"Commit yourselves daily" so the State Monster can continue to use you, abuse you, and kick you to the curb when you are all used up!
Y'all, keep the comments respectful, particularly toward individual employees losing their jobs, or I'll just shut this string down entirely. (I already deleted three such comments between 2:02 and 2:27.) People's livelihoods were in the balance here and now what's done is done. All the backbiting and spite contributes nothing at this point and harms the souls of those who engage in it more than the targets of your ire. Seriously. Play nice or comment somewhere else. I'm sure there will be lots of media covering the closures that will tolerate such garbage, but I won't do so here.
good for you, Grits!
Well, I applied at Ron Jackson for a teaching job, and I should say...the nicest lady was the secretary. The other school officials were rude and unprofessional. Throughout the entire interview they talked viciously about the students and how awful they were. I told my wife after the interview, "I dont know about working there." Thank GOD, I didn't get hired because know I would be out of a job. My interview consisted of running down the students, the other employees of the school, and state officials. I regret some are losing their jobs, but some of them do not belong in that environment!
I feel very empathetic towards you people who are losing your jobs. Crocket if I remember was the wilderness program you could get paroled to back in the 70’s and prior to that it was the State Training School for Colored Girls. I remember as a child one of our maids went there. Shame, lot of history there.
I would be willing to bet this is how the tyc will get rid of the good people so they can keep the pedophiles and the thieves under the care and feeding of the states correction job corps. So that’s actually a good thing, the good people can move on while the trash continue to wallow in there excrement. That’s our tyc.
TYC is already short on having seasoned staff. Who will be responsible for training staff.Hopefully it will be someone who gets out in the field and create a follow-up system to ensure that staff are grasping the program.Staff have been failed by this agency when it comes to training staff.The Re Hab department comes up with good programs but they don't have enough staff to do follow-up training.Hopefully this will change.Emphasis should once again be focused on developing a Safe Culture.Staff will not be able function properly on a daily basis if they are not taught good interpersonal skills and behavior management techniques.These things need to be top priority.Hopefully the right people read my message.Behavior with-in institutions is going to escalate more than ever before.Someone needs to visit campuses and ask staff if a safe culture exists and what they feel is the reason for the unsafe culture.Hopeing for the best for the Agency i have loved for years.
Just goes to show that Whitmire does not always get his way. He's been wanting to close Corsicana for years and he has been going on and on about keeping units close to the communities from where the kids come. What does TYC do? Leaves Corsicana open, and closes the two units closest to Whitmire's home territory! Great slap to Whitmire's face!
My only question is what does "joining the two Mart facilities" mean? Will that mean Mart 1 stays intake and orientation, or will they once again be long term care? Will the fence separating the two facilities come down? Still alot of questions to be answered for the Mart 1 staff.
If Mart 1 goes to long term care, most of the staff there are replants from the original Marlin orientation. Being an 11 year Mart 1 staff, I have been on both sides of the equation...orientation and long term care. I don't think that alot of the staff that are currently employed there are suited to properly care for "long term care" youth. Supervising a dorm of "orientation" kids is alot different that overseeing a dorm of "long term" kids. I just don't think that some of the staff there have the skill set to oversee these "long terms" because they have always been working in orientation.
Also in ya'lls opinions, how many staff from Al Price and Crockett do ya'll see transferring to other facilities. I personally don't think it will be many. JMO.
Unfortunately, in the end, Crockett was a victim of Crockett. The stats speak for themselves-high employee turnover, high incidence of lost time injuries, employees not showing up for work, high incidence of calling in sick-it all added up to a death knoll for Crockett. I feel for all the good employees but in reality, Crockett didn't deserve to stay open. If you have a unit with that many negative employee issues, what would be the point in keeping it open to expand and create a bigger problem? The decision was not political, it was not because someone had an axe to grind against Crockett. It was pure and simple that we killed ourself.
The 9/11 truth is out on the internet.
The WTC was destroyed by 3 underground thermo-nuclear explosions. They were detonated by the US government who used this as an excuse to lead the US and its allies into invading Afghanistan and Iraq. All these wars and deaths were based on a lie.
Will you help to tell this to the world?
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=625926
http://www.911-truth.net/
Be sure to watch the 26 part video there.
#4 is on the built-in nuclear demolition scheme of the WTC
http://www.911-truth.net/911_WTC_nuclear_demolition_Dimitri_Khalezov_part04.mp4
#14 in on Building 7
http://www.911-truth.net/Dimitri_Khalezov_interview_WTC_nuclear_demolition_part14.flv
#24/25 is on the chronic radiation sickness of the WTC responders)
http://www.911-truth.net/911_WTC_nuclear_demolition_Dimitri_Khalezov_part24.mp4
http://www.911-truth.net/911_WTC_nuclear_demolition_Dimitri_Khalezov_part25.mp4
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/02/21/dimitri-khalezov-gordon-duff-and-kevin-barrett-nuclear-terrorism/
http://www.danielestulin.com/wp-content/uploads/11septemberthirdtruthenglishnexus.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNh1Isb20tw&feature=player_embedded
http://careandwashingofthebrain.blogspot.com/2011/05/911-comparing-building-implosions.html
I sure hope that someone keeps a close eye on the number of youth being certified as adults and sent to prison earlier. Also, though harder to track, how many youth who would otherwise be TYC-bound will be kept in local juvenile programs only to age out at 17, commit another offense, and end up in prison? TYC is a critical intervention for a specific population that has demonstrated it doesn't respond well in local, community-based programs - no matter how politically warm and fuzzy they sound. I fear the dismantling of TYC - the state's last opportunity to intervene - is dangerous for the youth who will be lost to lives as adult inmates.
TYC has wonderful, caring people who do some very challenging work, but they make a huge difference for the youth who predominantly come to them as recidivists – a difficult population to treat. I would argue they quite frankly perform miracles when they are able to make those individual break-throughs, youth by youth.
Sadly, in addition to closing the facilities, a lot of central office employees and regionally-based employees lost their jobs too today. It’s horrible for the individuals, but in addition to the experience and expertise of the people, the services they provided were lost too. One example is the corps of educational liaisons. I’m not criticizing that decision at all, and I am not privileged to the thought process anymore. I just point that out as an example of what happens when your budget is slashed and you have to choose whether you implement bad choice A or bad choice B. The educational liaisons helped many of the TYC youth enroll in college and post-secondary educational programs, which is a clear way to help them become contributing citizens.
If you want to talk budget, it costs society more than $4 million over a lifetime when it fails to successfully intervene in the life of an at-risk 14-year-old (Vanderbilt University study).
Let’s not celebrate a successful “reform” of juvenile justice in Texas until we are certain that these changes aren’t just passing children up to the adult system.
For those who are curious, this is posted by Tim Savoy, former TYC communications director, who left the agency to take a different job earlier this year. My only connection to TYC is that I am a taxpayer, a voter, and citizen of the state.
Good for you Tim. Glad to see you got out. Once the agencies merge, there will be real change as new leaders are put in place. There are a ton of excellent juvenile justice professionals chomping at the bit to get their hands on the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Unfortunately, State budget issues won't change until that idiot Perry is out of office.
I think Al Price closing was a great choice for all of the corruption, manipulation, lies and inappropriate relationships that have went on between staff members. That certain "ones" with special favors have received rewards, special parking spaces and incentives while no one ever stopped to ask why? Give me a break, now that the facility is closed, staff members can finally tell the truth about what has been going on without fear of retaliation. Sad thing is I lost my job today and still believe that this was the best thing to happen.
The main way they reward those who cover up is TYC state housing. Look who lives in those houses.
Are there any stats of TYC kids who earn colege degrees besides that sheldon thug? And if there is how far back can TYC show that success?
I agree with everything Tim Savoy said.
What all District and Parole offices were closed/closing? Does anyone know or know where to find out?
I think Tim Savoy is one of the few looking into the future and using common sense. But I do hope you are wrong.
Cut and pasted from Cherie Townsend's email to staff:
"Today, as a result of additional planned facility closures and a 50% reduction in appropriations for parole for the FY 2012-13 biennium, I am also announcing decisions to downsize the Central Office, parole, and regional staff by 123 positions which includes the planned closure of district parole offices at the following locations: Waco, Tyler, Amarillo, Midland, Lubbock, and Harlingen. These areas will be covered by staff in mobile or satellite offices or by contract, though parole contracts are also being reduced by 35% . "
District office closing are: Waco, Tyler, Amarillo, Midland, Lubbock & Harlingen. You can find this information on the TYC web page.
FYI - there's a ton of information that the Board considered in deciding which facilities to close at the TYC website.
http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/facilityclosureinformation/
to 6/03/2011 02:02:00 PM
Why would veangance be good people losing their jobs? Something is wrong with you
Well said, Tim.
Looks like we may have more problems in Brownwood, The Administration is going to put boys with the girls lol ,,,, Come on Folks didnt you learn from years ago before i retired from Browwood State School that you cant put them together..OH well lets get ready for more sexual assults,lawsuits etc.
Discusted in Brownwood Texas
10:13, you must be one of the special Crockett folks. If you read closely, I said the bad outnumbered the good, and that is where the vengeance comes in to play. I would bet that there was at least one good person in Sodom or Gomorrah, but God destroyed them all. You must be one of the good ones that sat back quiet while the evil ones at Crockett did others wrong. Unfortunate that you too are having to deal with the karma that has come back on those evil doers. If you don't understand this, then something is wrong with you. God bless you, and best wishes.
It is interesting that within the discussion of merging the two agencies, TYC and TJPC, not once was it ever recommended that the merger was intended to better serve kids in this state. The focus was to eliminate TYC and TJPC and that will be successful. It is unfortunate that at this time there is no one advocating for what is best for the kids. I am in search of human beings who want the best for these kids and I would like those human beings to be their voice.
I have been at Mart One for five years, and work as front-line staff. I talk to the recommitments when they come back through and they tell stories about their state school placements - clearly there are management problems that closure can bluntly address.
Mart One, and to to extent I can gather from talking with peers and recommitments, Mart Two, are well-run facilities. At those facilities there has been a dramatic reduction on youth on youth violence and youth on staff violence, and staff violence towards youth is virtually unheard of and dealt with quickly.
TYC has failed to protect its youth and failed the people of Texas in the past, but it also has taken great strides to develop and deliver a quality rehabilitation program.
We still have far to go, and to get there we need strong management (of which there is some in Austin and regionally), sincere participation from stakeholders such as Texas Appleseed, respect for the staff that come to work every day, and a clear commitment to make a difference to the lives of the youth under our care.
The "local option" is a pipedream given funding levels, local commitment, and proven programs. The centralized facilities can provide a meaningful rehabilitation program, safety for the youth, and a clear and postiive mission for the Texas taxpayer.
As we move forward, perhaps some of our history (and the anger voiced in these comments) will fade without forgetting their lessons.
But it is not just "a few good people" - TYC at Mart is operating as it should be. And I am happy that the Board did not cut some side deal or make a political decision to close us down.
Tim Savoy, I agree fully. TYC has some great, caring people. From my experience with the agency, everyone there wants to run a program that succeeds in helping turn around the most difficult of the most difficult youth. Many are there, in part, because the community could not provide the mental health treatments, social services, and education needed to help them gain self control, and judges had no good option other than incarceration through the criminal justice system. That is still true under the reformed juvenile justice system.
You get what you pay for. Before the yogurt hit the fan in early 2007, the prime directive from downtown was to cut the budget by x% each biennium, no matter what else you might need. That mentality seems to be alive and well among those that control the budget.
I am not saying that money alone solves problems. To spend money wisely we need to know what works and what doesn't, and fund the programs enough to employ the best people and technology we can. Studies like those Tim suggests would help.
My sympathy to those who have been laid off, and my encouragement. Happened to me once, many years ago, and a few years later I was in a new career making much more than my old boss.
Well TYC has needed to cut central office staff for a number of years. This round of cuts and closures will just be the first of many as the new department merges TYC and TJPC. Hope many cuts are made at TJPC also.
God bless all the TYC staff who lost their jobs. Bless the families who now have children hours more away from home. Bless all the families who experience hardship due to this decision.
I was told by my son the kids have been getting GIddings ready for more boys. There is an empty dorm that is being cleaned and patched up for those coming from the shut down facilites.
I think this merger is not going to be a panacea that everyone thinks. I believe there is not enough oversite on the community level and kids will get lost in the cracks most times. I also believe we will see the number of certifications go up for kids who commit violent crimes. TYC was supposed to be the place they could go to avoid adult prison and be given a chance to turn their life around. Where are they going to go now? Easy....adult jail. Money may be getting saved now but in the long run politicians are just throwing our kids under the train when they should be trying better to get them out of the way of it.
The Crockett State School TYC facility has closed, and for good reason as far as I am concerned. No longer will TYC youth be subject to cruel and unusual punishment. Having said, my own personal opinion is not necessarily relevant to the officious allusion “negative employee issues” justified closing the facility. Perhaps so, but to overtly imply that the “stats speak for themselves” is debatably a boo-boo on the part of “Anonymous.” LOL.
TYC staff dont give a damn about kids going to colege. They are to selfish to think a kid could better themselves. Most kids are goint to adult prison anyway.
Sorry for the mixup, but the facilities closing are: Evins, Giddings and Gainsville. Prior comments are obsolete. Adjust your behaviors accordingly.
TYC Management
Crockett State School closed because TYC could not afford another youth hanging himself to death while under suicide watch in security.One death is enough. I guess Crockett thought no one would ever notice, but it finally caught up with them.
Not in my wildest dreams could I envision a scenario that has Evins still being open. What a sad and cruel joke this must be to the few good TYC folks that lost their jobs. Every negative thing such as abusers being employed, contraband being available and theives being present that have bben attributed to Crockett or Al Price simply pales in comparison to Evins. This stinker is what lead TYC to the drain. What a shame it was not the first closure on the list.
Evins is staying open? Say it's not true! What a mess that place has been for the past ten years.
Ms. Townsend please use this time to rid tyc of the albatross around the neck of good staff. The "supervisors" absorbed when other facilities closed" The "regional directors" not needed in the first place but jobs made up for the people who should have been forced to retire long ago. The "dorm supervisor" positions make up to take staff off the floor where they are needed. This position was never needed in the first place. Force retirement of the Double Dippers who retired once and then came back to sit with their feet on the desk sucking state money that could have been spent on people and programs to help our kids.
Anyone who has the time and money in the system to retire should be required to show cause why they should be kept on in the face of the current crisis. If they can not physically work with the youth and take a youth into a prt or protect another staff-they should go. A staff who stands by while another staff is hurt should be gone in a heart beat no matter how long they have worked for the state. There are a few left who actually care about our youth and staff and a staff who cannot protect another staff cannot protect a youth either.
Just a thought.
CharityLee: 1024: "more oversight" needed on a community level? Does anyone in local juvenile justice believe we need more standards, rules, legalistic mumbo-jumbo, confusing, and inexperienced state monitors to "help" us? Making sure the state monies are spent on proven programs-YES! But, PLEASE, no more regulations that take so much time instead of actually working/monitoring the kids.
I am a TYC employee, Texas resident, taxpayer, and voter. I have to say that I am tired of people scapegoating TYC for the problems with not only the juvenile justice system, but, child protective services, and mental health care for children. There is not one single person in TYC who has the authority to commit a youth to TYC. It requires the recommendation of a probation officer, a district attorney, and/or a court order from a Judge.
I would like to know where is all the outrage when a child is in school, identified as having severe mental health issues and nothing is ever done for that child. Why are people not more outraged that nothing is being done then? Where are the child advocates when a child needs someone fighting for him/her to get mental health care before that child ever ends up the the juvenile justice system? Why is DSHS and DFPS not stepping in at that point and providing services to those children before they ever commit a crime?
When a child is taken to court and that child needs counseling, mental health care, education, where is the outrage that they did not get it before they were ever committed to TYC? Where was Advocacy, Inc,(Disability Rights), Texas Appleseed, Whitmire, Madden, and everyone else then fighting for that child to get those services then so that child is never put in the juvenile justice system?
If everyone is saying these children should not have been in TYC, why were they ever sent to TYC?
I here complaint after complaint that TYC doesn't help these children. They didn't get the help when they should have gotten it. Before they ever were committed to TYC. TYC is not a mental health facility. TYC is not a child placement agency. TYC is a juvenile corrections agency. No person employed with TYC asks for these children to be committed to the agency. We work with what we get when we get it. We do our best to provide help to these children when everyone else (advocacy groups, probation, judges, district attorneys, teachers, mental health professionals) failed them.
If the communities don't have resources to help these children now, what is going to change next year? When their budgets for these services are being cut, state money for these services have been cut, and federal money for these services have been cut.
I am a resident of Texas, a taxpayer, and a voter. TYC's budget was cut 116M despite the fact that the agency still have youth in its custody who must be given services that were neglected before they came to TYC. The population has not decreased and there is no promise that it will decrease. The Texas legislature did not allow for any resources to provide community based services for these children. By being forced to close facilities, TYC is now forced to increase the population of existing facilities. Is this someone supposed to make the children more safe? If TYC cannot now keep these children safe because of these budget cuts, whose fault is it? If TYC is forced to release children when there are no community services or placements for them, whose fault is it? If your family is placed in danger because there are no community placements, whose fault is it?
I am tired of the blame shifting. I am tired of the ignorance. I am tired of the lies. I have dedicated myself to doing the best that I can for the children "we" have been given responsibility for. "We" include every resident of Texas. For those of you who have a problem with how TYC is operated, why don't you help. If you are a mental health professional, why don't you volunteer your time. If you are a teacher, why don't you volunteer to tutor. If you are a parent, why don't you volunteer to mentor a child that "we" have been given responsibility for. If you have done none of the above, you have no right to judge and belittle those who do.
If there are any spelling errors or grammatical errors in this post. I apologize. I am tired.
Crockett closed because of nepotism, bullying, racism, ignorant/lazy staff and Connections program. It used to be a great place to work. People didn't want to come to work because the kids ran the facility and every day was a nightmare. I hope Whitmire and the rest of the geniuses get whats coming to them. I would hate to explain my actions at the pearly gates if I were him.
Anyone showing a connection to TYC nowdays, is a frigging idiot or short of drugs for the head. Call past psw's for help. Need milk?
9:52 Nepotism is the glue that holds TYC together.
@2:25PM So Mrs Townsend and all the press has been misinformed? Share your sources please! Anyone can say Anon said and sign TYC Management.
If you think all this started with D. Harris, think again! It started with the "good ole boy system" and I think that goes back about twenty years or more...and who was in charge during some of that time? Ron Jackson? George Bush? You think this just started over the last 10 years? They ignored and covered up first and left the mess for someone else to take the blame for. Kind of like Bush did with Obama??
It's like a learned behavior they passed on. Not trying to make excuses for anyone.....anyone who abuses a child should suffer the same, but if you're going to lay blame, then lay it all the way. For those of you on the outside looking in, it appears easy for you to cast stones....must be nice.
Have you ever worked with trouble youth? Been spit on, feces thrown at you while you're trying to help them rehabilitate and make a positive contribution to society? Taken calls from parents scared of theif kids and wanting to dump them off on someone else because they can't deal with they brought into this world? Until you have, then you really don't know what you are talking about. Why I would even say it's safe to assume the majority of you would walk away in a heart beat and never look back!
Hopefully what you do for a living does not have any impact on anyone, in any way. Bet your a christian too, huh???
The sad part about all of these post here is that even though they sound like disgruntled people in a work place, they are for the most part true.
I retired and did so as soon as I was able to do so. No one wants to hear the staff complain, no wanted to listen. Get out if you don't like it is the motto at CRTC.
These closures as I think, are just the begining of the downsize to three units that will be left.
So if your thinking your safe, think in the short term, because you will be facing this again.
For those that lost their jobs don't be sad, it was a blessing for you! Your health will improve, your anger will leave you, you will be happy again. You will look years younger in 6 months.
Good luck to all and most of all God Bless the staff that were left with a job because your going to need it.
Bush did to Obama, and Obama is REALLY doing it to us, great economy, wonderful healthcare idea (free to all those who choose not to work), it goes on and on.
We need to offer support to those who will loose jobs Let everyone stand back and learn nothing is forever. TYC AND TJPC need to do an awful lot of scaling back, THPC;'s ANE UNIT CAN GO AWAY AND LET OIG HANDLE IT. TJPC's trainers and JJAEP monitors rock. Policy development goes first. Statistics an planning also goes away IMO
All I know is if my name were Mike and I had received 3 RIF notice in the last five years, I'd get the hint. Airforce Mike. Mullet and all. Get the hint bro.
If you go to the TYC wesite, the information is posted on what doomed the three chosen facilities. Turnover and incidents of violence were a major factor. Some of these units were doing better in 2007!
The joke is that they think they are going to remit most of these 300 kids to juvenile probation and keep them in the local counties. This tells me they put very little thought into these closures. Most of these kids are already MULTIPLE offenders and probation violators. That's what got them into TYC in the first place!
By the way, the last time I was at Mart 2 it didn't even have cafeteria facilities. What are they going to do about that?
We all must move on and not hold on to resentments. God will see us through.
Unfortunately the staff in the field will pay the price for bad decisions at central office as usual.
Don't feel sorry for me or those of us who lost our jobs at TYC. Feel sorry for yourselves who have to continue on in the pit that you find yourselves in, which will get worse. As long as politicians are making decisions that affect the running of any facility, the facility is doomed for hard times and long days. It's easy to sit at a desk and tell others what to do and to second guess an action which was or was not taken when you are unable and most certainly unwilling to do it yourselves. We all have opinions about these closures and what led up to it, but I believe that the goal for Crockett was closure from the day the new Administration sat foot on the campus.
I was told they kept some CO supervisors that should have been let go a long time ago.
But then again supervisors who are allowed to yell-scream-and attempt to intimidate usually are the last to go.
The exposure at West Texas tells very little about TYC as a whole. It took a one man abuse case for people to convict the entire agency of total mistreatment of children.Before this incident we were a world class organization.This closure is strictly about money. Top officals have yet to develop after care programs that have been needed for years. Kids have been forgotten.Everyone supports the merger.How will a merger make the culture safe within institutions?We are back where we started before TYC apapted a group program. One on one intervention. This type of program only causes student to staff violence.You all will see this real soon.Staff and students are no longer a priority.TYC executive staff were shaken to the point that when Ms. Pope and her crew arrived that they sold out.They started agreeing that we as a whole were a crippled agency that didn't know how to treat kids. I am happy that sell outs like David Walenta were not promoted to higher positions.
They are only combining Mart 1 and Mart 2 because Mart 2 won't pass ACA inspection because it does not have an independent cafeteria. This has been in the works forever no one wanted to talk about it. They then get to get rid of a layer of administration at one of the units (likely Mart 2).
Glad I got out when I did. Good luck to all of you both those staying and those leaving, staff and youth alike.
The Superintendent at Crockett may be coming to Mart since Mr. Simmons will be retiring at the end of this month.
Simmons is a sorry piece of crap. Similar to Bayes. Both should be in jail. Good ridance and better for TYC that they are both fired/retired/gone.
It all began with Brownwood. Almost all of the management came from or worked at Brownwood. Many began there careers there.
Clay, Steen, Shorten, Parsee, Robinson, Harrison...etc..
Did you mean Giddings, Clay, Harris,Banard,Walters, Robinson
At TYC, we usually admire the suck-ups and the deceivers. It never seems to occur to us to expect decent behavior from these folks. Why not? Does anyone know why we don't? What is so damn wrong with us? Why do we live like this?
I know we've got CO fooled, but we have to live with the culture we have created and continue to re-create every day.
Chester Clay was a good man that I worked with for 10 years. His dealing with staff and youth were always professional. Please allow him to rest in peace!
1027: A sorry lot...all. Vengence is not ours.
TYC Staff!!! DO YOU MISS ME NOW???
1134, you're a sorry ass coward!
What a hoot, someone asked about tyc kids going on to higher education, not prison but college, and yet no one can even address that topic. Instead you people act worse with your back biting and fingering pointing than the kids you keep. No wonder your recidivism rate is 87% over a 3 year period. Put a kid in tyc care and you staff pukes make them worst. I suppose that one poster is right, you pedophiles living off the state like a bunch of my cock roaches couldn’t fathom the kids going to college. That one poster who interviewed at Ron Jack-ass-son for a teaching role said the interview consisted of staff back biting other staff and degrading the students. Real tyc type teachers there I tell you. I suppose that’s what one should expect from that sexually repressed Howard Payne cult of a community. It might be why tyc moved the boys out so the pedophiles wouldn’t be accused of homosexuality under that form of religious repression.
Our legislators should have rolled the entire agency up to TDCJ and moved all those boys to Fergusson farm and the girls to one of the old schools at Gatesville. You punks can’t handle these kids. Our prison system was much better back in the game before Ruiz v Estelle and Morales v Turman.
You'll notice that no one James Smith or Mary Wood appointed to TYC positions lost their jobs.
Who lost their jobs?
TYC Staff!!!
You were never satisfied. Just wanted to complain. Blame placed on outsiders and not you or your so called juvie justice experts.
Well the walls came down crumbling and it was on your watch. And in the end it was about money. Always is.
Your former agency head agreed with this process of merger. But in the end was a coward to publicly acknowledge it because he too grew up inside of the system and was more concerned about finally being at the top then do what is best for the kids and the state. I suspect your current head knew it also. Community base is the key.
You got your wish. No saviors exist now, they have fled the state.
Well wishes I send to some others you reap what you sow.
DO YOU MISS ME NOW? YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER :)
I can't decide whether I miss you or not...please reveal which former idiot you are?
@ Anonymous 06/07/2011 2:08 p.m. - I never ever miss semi-illiterate people. Sorry :( Go dump your jumbled alphabetic mess on someone other thread.
The merger has been a plan for a long while but only came to fruition when Whitmire needed to save face. He couldn't eliminate TYC so this gave him a way to say that he did something after all his grandstanding. He lost his backers a long time ago. No word these days from Hinojosa once he realized Whitmire's bs might lead to hundreds of Hinojosa's consituents losing jobs? Whitmire has nothing to lose. Only Mike Ward still keeps up with his WardMire quotes because the Dallas Morning News bailed a long time ago. When Steve Robinson stood up at Joy Anderson's retirement party and told Dwight Harris that he should be puking at that point, he was right. Joy kept the TDCJ takeover at bay for a long while. Whitmire knew about the West Texas pervs already and just kept it in his back pocket and when he saw his chance, he pounced. I hope all of the lives destroyed pays out for Whitmire, just like defecting from the Democrats during redistricting did for him. Dimitria Pope is nowhere NEAR the most disgraceful thing he's done.
ADIOS MOFO
After viewing the comments here, I understand why youth that go to TYC were abused and came out for the worse. It sounds like most of you are concerned about your sick lives and not youth. You caused this mess and deserve whatever you get...sort of like what you did to the youth in your care.
Sheldon, you keep throwing out that recidivism stat without the ability to tell anyone where you got it from. I ask every time you put it out there but you never seem to be able to back it up.
Anyone who thinks that this merger is the end of TYC is fooling themselves and an idiot. Fewer facilities now, more later at greater expense, no real reform just financial realignment, so nobody really misses anyone and prison visitation happens regularly so we can visit you there then.
To be sure, Evins should have been on the closure list. I worked there and can tell you that it is not only the most corrupt facility in TYC,but is rife with nepotism, cronyism and racism that make Crockett look like heaven on Earth. There is an unofficial "Chain of Command" of malcontents, who make life a living hell for anyone who is "not from the Valley." If a supervisor says or does something they (JG, TS, JE, RS, EB, SM) don't like, they call the press, or Central Office, who, of course, believe them and their lies without question and eventuqally are forced out. And before anyone says , "Where are the facts?", just read the Moss Report. It's right there in black and white. Were ACA or DOJ to just happen to "pop in", unannounced, they would find that all of the corrective actions and accreditation standards have fallen by the wayside. Once again, it's business as usual. With the closures will come more kids. I wonder how Evins will meet the mandated 12:1, youth/
staff ratio? Calling in sick and WC at the drop of a hat are common practices. OT will most certainly increase. Tired staff are careless staff and careless staff get kids and their co-workers hurt. Add an incompetent administrator and a crooked PS III or so it'll be 2006 all over again. The more things change at Evins... Perhaps the DOJ needs an on-site presence to maintain compliance???
Word now has it that TYC sold the Al Price unit to the fed for a federal facility. So, all this song and dance for the past several months about community input and criteria for closure was just a bunch of BS. They knew a long time ago that Al Price would be closing, but decided to string along the employees and local community anyway.
Same old TYC crap. Nothing ever changes.
I worked for TYC for over ten years. After June 30th, I will no longer be a TYC employee.
I don't know how I feel about that. I like to think that I made somewhat of a difference to the youth that I worked with....I felt like I did anyway.
But what I keep coming back to is that for year we heard whispers of staff sexually harrassing other staff and having inappropriate relationships with youth.
And it was never really dealt with. Superintendents who sexually harrassed other staff were moved to other facilities...When they did it again the were made parole officers but kept their superintendent pay.
Staff who got in relationships with kids simply quit working for TYC after being pressured to and married and had kids with their sweethearts after they were released from TYC. No one was ever prosecuted.
To hear these rumors and be sickened by them is something that I learned to live with over the years.
I now spend my time looking for other jobs and trying to come to grips with the fact that I won't work with the people that I had established such strong friendships with.....All this while the supervisors who told that I had nothing to worry about suddenly seem to have a hard time looking me in the eye or avoid coming near me alltogether.
And my signifigant other points out that George Bush was just starting his second term in the Oval Office when I last got a merit raise....And reminds me how after beig told that there was no money for merit raises, I got to read how Ms Townsend wanted to give raises to people who already make four times what I do...And I remember thinking, 'why the hell did I ever support this woman?'
So many things keep flooding my thoughts on a daily basis.
I know many of you who post here and read these blogs are convinced that all TYC Staff were lazy bastards who loved to abuse kids anyway possible....Or at least you want to beleive that.
But alot of good people who deserved better from Ms Townsend got hurt on friday.
The only good thing about wounds is that they heal.
Hopefully those who have to live with this will be better for it in the long run.
That's what I keep telling myself anyway.
5:01, I was shown the gate in 2007 after 10 years of dedicated service to TYC. When I say dedicated, I mean to the point that I moved to new facilites on 3 occasions to help out in training staff and putting programs in place. My life was TYC. I missed my own kids activities, and rarely got a chance to see extended family. When the rug was pulled out from under me in 2007, I thought that I would never make it. However, I am telling you that your life will be better after TYC. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, be proud of the work you did with the youth, and move along to the next adventure. If TYC taught you anything, how to survive is probably at the top of the list. You will survive.
5:01, look I believe all of us thought Ms. Townsend was the answer to our prayers after the Pope and then Nedelkoff, WE were all wrong.
The first clue should have been those that she brought with her from Arizona that had no experience with Juveniles at all, but she was given a title and responsibilities way over her head.
But we sat back and said okay she made one mistake and we can forgive her, but she never gained any traction nor did she advocate for staff in the field.
I guess all of us who will be moving on July 30th will never really know, unless of course we come back to this blog. I hope to move on and find other intrests and bigger challenges. I hope the rest of you do as well, and stop believing this will ever change. The absolute worse 4 years of my life are hopefully over now, time to start a new.
It's interesting to note that many employees have now come forward and admitted to much misdirection, poor management and abuse of youth and coworkers by the TYC experts in Austin. Few would step-up and state the truth, until they have been Rif'ed and felt the personal tragedy of the commission culture and death blows. One must wonder if they had spoke up earlier and dealt with these problems, they may still have a job where they could continue to help youth and serve the state responsibly. How many must feel now that they placed the rope around their on necks in deniability, while thinking they were saving themselves and all would be swell. Such a hard lesson to learn at this late date.
i left a year ago after 20yrs service-too much of the wrong thing going on-the conextions program needs to be flushed and start over with treatment that addresses unmet needs and discipline-all 3 facilities needed to close-the youth came out of those facilities worse off-the other facilities are just as bad-need to clean house and instill discipline,empathy and respect-i'm glad i left when i did- it's terrible having to work with people who are ignorant especially management-clean out state housing you'll probly evict more than you know
Call Whitmire and ask how many mad mommas have called about the Harris County children being sent so far away from home now that he has closed every facility in his district.
Yes, 550, the mothers want them back in the home so they can draw bigger welfare checks and T-cards to buy more beer and get free CASH on these welfare checks. STOP the madness! Make their fathers get a job.
According to my resources I used data from tyc and tdcj over 2 decades, applied a Bays Norm and did the arithmetic using a 3 year float to come up with the 87% recidivist value. It is much lower over a 5 year float but you have to take into account the kids who get out of tyc, reoffend, go to tdcj for a short time and then don’t return within 5 years from their release from tdcj. It has the same effect tyc had before Morales v Turman screwed everything up, most people don’t want to go back to that hell hole. The mathematics is very accurate but does not statistically favor tyc’s programming over the last 2 decades. However it does provide for a more truthful evaluation of tyc’s effectiveness and corresponds more closely with what the casual Grits reader can glean from reading tyc post.
Can the state dispute that, maybe. Could my data be wrong, perhaps. My resources just gave me what I asked for, open records. I don’t think the state statistician drones had a clue what I was asking for. Hell, the tyc ass clowns can’t even post how many kids go to college from tyc. I’m sure it’s way to shameful to post. To busy posting anonymously like typical tyc staff pedophiles behaving badly threads. This research will be part of the pedophiles of tyc web site that should go public before the merger is complete this year.
YOU PEOPLE get what you deserve.
My sweet little Sheldon TYC#47333, here are some pretty good numbers, but they could be off. They are not a scientific as yours, they are just from looking at the faces and papers on 20 years of kids like you.
They have one parent maybe! The other one is either gone and unknown or locked up himself. Of those two wonderful persons they have a 9th grade education and read on a 6th grade level.
With no person in their life thinking education is of any value, neither do they! So just what plan do you have when right now all they have to do is time and they can leave and they know it!
Change the plan where they can not get out until they are on grade level or graduate...no school improvement, no walk out the door!
There might be a better outcome.
Almost for got, TYC is not full of misguided eagle scouts its victim making punks! If for a brief second one ever even tried to act like a human we would too, until then they will be treated the only way the understand!
I was with TYC for a short time and traveled to all the facilities. The culture at TYC was and is so poisonous that this change is needed. Lots of good employees and youth in need have been betrayed and abandoned over the years.All vestiges of TYC need to be left behind if this new agency is to have a chance of succeeding. Ms Townsend called it "right sizing" when my position was riffed... now the whole agency is being right sized. There are very few top administrators in the agency that have true leadership skills.Some, for example Mary Wood, are just rude bullies who have no leadership qualities so they must rely on fear and intimidation.
Good luck to those of you looking for new jobs. Just remember, when one door closes another is open!
If there are so many programs available for trouble youth before they get committed to TYC.How did our juvenile institutions get overcrowded?Mergers aren't the answer.Kids are so messed up before they come to TYC.I t's very difficult to teach them both academically and socially.Why hasn't the press released how the public sectors will be trained to deal with deliquents that have been in the system.Remember the kids in TYC institutions have been given multiple chances before they were put in the system. Stop blameing ALL TYC staff for the failure of youth in TYC. .All this crap that happened years and years ago is past history.If there are programs that are working in communities,Please present the list.When you put these kids that have been in the system for years in your neighbor hoods.What do you think will be the result.Are your neighbor hoods going to be safer?How much negative influence will exist on the kids that have been liveing productive lives.The problems begins at home not in institutions.These kids will merge back in TYC or advance to TDC.
The neighborhood where these kids come from you will not find any of our current legistlators residing in. This is one of the many reasons why TYC exists, throw away kids. Not to say all parents whose kids are in TYC are terrible, but quite a few never show up to visit, write or provide any feedback, unless of course they believe the state has done something wrong and they believe they can sue the state for damages. These programs in the community do not, have not existed, and if they did TYC would never see another kid again.
Stop blameing TYC.Blame parents. They had these kids a lots longer than TYC.These kids need to merged back with their parents.A lot of you critics have kids at home whom you can't manage. You spoil them buy them pants to large so they can sagg.You allow them to stay out all night, you allow them to play explicit music in your houses.You engage in activities that are inappropriate for children. These same kids enter in the system.We take away the negative things that you allowed them to have.The kids rebel.We hold them acountable.They grieve.Staff gets investigated.Staff gets accused of abuse.Staff gets fired.yOU CRITICS WILL NOW BE ABLE TO USE YOUR EXPERTISE.tHEY WILL BE WITH YOU IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
I know Giddings had about 20 kids who were taking college classes while at the facility. There were kids from each school who participated so there were quite a few. Sounds small but was really a significant number of those youth who were of age to do that type of work.
I agree with some of these comments. Parents are the first line faults. They have failed their children! The community has failed also with these troubled youth. Where do troubled youth go? TYC. Then these youth are undermined and mistreated by staffers that care only about their own lives and their families, if even that is true. I've seen TYC employeers that were the worse examples for youth and some were even sex abusers praying on youth. TYC sucks in sex abusers; we all know that and management turns the blind eye, since some managememnt are sex abusers also. PROVEN in court. The system encourages parents that have no mentality to place youth in problem situations and only want state sponsored money for their own care. We know which groups are the worse about this...look around your community. TYC administrators are worse than criminals on the streets. Look at what TYC has done to youth and employees over the past fifteen years. Many should be in jails, but the good ole boy system protects them. Kill an illegal...kill a ex-TYC administrator. Blame it on who? Everyone covers for their own and the youth, employees and tax payers pay the price for the statewide incompetence and ignorance of the Texas Youth Commission. Rot In Hell.
Otherwise, have a good day.
726: You sound like a one month TYC new employee or a Austin administrator of ten years, never in the field. Both are stupid and typical TYC employees. You caused the agency to fail. Do you understand IDIOT?
Why all the lament and lamblasting TYC??? It is the begginning of a new day and locally administrated Juvenile Probation will finally be considered the viable vehicle to drive. Juvenile Probation shows some promise based on its past record of success. If in fact you consider yourself having some skills that will help this field, go find a juvenile department to apply and go to work.
Wow! These posts are amazing. With all of this "positive" feed back, I am surprised management didn't try to improve skills on at least some level at Al Price and Crockett.
How can anyone defend staff at Al Price? the youth at visitation were discussing the "hot" principle and her inappropriate photos posted on facebook.
Tell me what kind of a principle, especially at a juvenile correctional facility has her breasts half exposed on facebook for anyone including the youth to see? I thought the youth were blowing smoke so I checked it out, there she is, half exposed. simply amazing! Good choice CO for closing Al Price! Time to hire some real professionals!
Al Price is a hotbed - of what, I don't know. They live by their own rules.
Evins was spared - for political reasons, I suppose. I guess it's good to have a politician sponsoring the rancid place. I guess things don't change.
@ 6/10/2011 01:34:00 PM
Holy guacamole! Her boobs are bigger than Carpenter's! I see a non-competitive promotion in her future...
Everything in the West got shut down, and now everything in the East got shut down. Why? Answer - I35. Think about it.
99% of the reasons why kids got committed to TYC is because of their parents. However, 99% of the reason they failed in TYC comes to the fact TYC never had other options but to send them back to that 99% loser parent who laid that egg in that environment to begin with, and thus nothing changed. Independent Living was huge for that population of TYC kids who qualified and hit the age.
ps. screw Townsend - send her ass packing
How could you have great sucess when one staff was ask to manage 20 kids or more at a time.It took a so called sex scandall to make legislators know we were under staffed.How many of you critics of TYC would work in that type of enviroment?What kept critics from showing concern for juvenile deliquents before the scandal.If the scandal wasn't brought up.It would be business as usual at.TYC.People in communities were happy that troubled kids were taken out of their communities.How many questions were being asked about after care programs?Where was the concern. I know a lot of people are interested in the well being of all kids.These people need to be questioning legislators about what type of programs acompany the merger.Will staff once again be top priority?PEOPLE NEED TO START ASKING MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MERGER.WE ALL KNOW PAROLE CAN ONLY BENEFIT KIDS THAT WANT TO BE SUCESSFUL OR WANT HELP.what about that 70 or 80 percent that refuse to adapt to a productive way of life.What program do you have in place for the difficult kids?These questions need to be answered before all hell breaks loose. Ask people at institutions that are receving these kids from institutions that has closed,what type of culture exists? Is it safer or more unsafer? You will never find out if you stay behind your desks and not spend quality time at these institutions.Immedite action is needed.
11:39
You've got that TYC punctuation, don't you. I suppose when you were in school no one told you that a space goes between sentences. So many TYC staff members resisted education during their eight years in school.
Seems like the moral standards that TYC staff are held to is pretty low. I know all of the staff members, direct and indirect seemed to dress and talk however they want to at Al Price. Even the female case managers wear skin tight jeans and t-shirts working around these young men that had way to many issues already to deal with being arroused by female staff members. Hopefully with TYC abolished the new agency will promote professionalism and hopefully uniforms at least for JCO staff members. As a christian female working at Al Price it is difficult with all of the "hidden" garbage that goes on there. From the highest position of administration to the lowest position of JCO staff members there is inappropriate relationships and conversations that go on. It is just a shame that no one, including myself could come forward with the truth because we all recognized that no one really cares or would have done anything to prevent the interpersonal realationships that go on, pretty indiscretely too.
With the fear of retaliation rescending now the the facility is closing, it may just be a great time to let CO staff know what has went on there for the last two and one half years so they will be wiser in the future!
Yes, all you cowards come out of your shells now. Where were you when it counted? You hid away and kept your mouths shut tight. Too late. Go back into your holes. You deserve whatever happens in this twisted unit called child care.
You sound like someone who may not have like it if the cowards would have come out. Maybe would have interrupted your play time too?
6/9 6:30 PM STATED When you put these kids that have been in the system for years in your neighbor hoods.What do you think will be the result.Are your neighbor hoods going to be safer"
Heck, they come BACK to our communities worse off than when we sent them to TYC. How do you explain that??
That hoochie business doesn't happen only at Al Price. I see it at my facility as well. You would think these hoochies had no supervisors. No one will criticize their crazy behavior.
Also, this hoochie business indicates a lack of leadership at TYC - from top to bottom. Not one word from administration. Just another sign of weakness. The leadership at the campus level just laughs at this night club dress code.
Look at how many of the hoochies have after hours contacts with the supervisors/administrators. Why mess up a goooood thing, also known as perks for these weird TYC people. Same goes on in CO...wee see them every day in the hallways and across the state.
So what you are saying is: TYC is made of of perverts, idiots, sex abusers, wanton whores, males wholes, administrative nuts, administrative liars, youth sexual supervisor abusers, employee sex abusers, employee complaint and grievance abusers, law abusers, criminals in general, felons, and TYC insiders that contents include all the above. WHY should any of TYC be alive or even considered for continuation? How can any of you perverts and idiots and followers of insanity sleep at night? How many youth have you lead down a deadly path and also screwed the Texas public out of hard earned money? Still got a job? Wonder why not.
If it's true that history repeats itself, I believe that the DOJ will be back at TYC in the near future. This time they might consider looking at all of the corruption and abuse that takes place at all facilities. Learn from what happened at Evins, people. There was a chance to really bring about positive change there, but anyone who tried was run off by James Smith, Alan Walters, Sylvia Martinez, Juan Gonzalez and all of the other crooks that work there. Every corrective action plan put in place and every ACA standard has fallen by the wayside because "This is Evins, we don't do things that way here." Evins is probably the most corrupt, racist facility in TYC. If your not Hispanic, you're SOL. I'll bet Judge Evins never envisioned the facilty bearing his name would become what it is today.
Evins had its chance in 05. But you're right. They sabotaged at every turn. There were some good people there, but they didn't stand a chance. We don't like outsiders down here anymore unless you are buying.
OK Hope everyone who wanted to has vented to their hearts content. It doesn't do any good if no one is listening and I'm afraid no one is, or ever has, for that matter.
Ms Townsend and The TYC Board:
If you want to be remembered for doing Something Good for the youth of this state, please accomplish the following:
Do away with the positions of Dorm Supervisor, Scheduler, and Regional Supervisor of Anything (we now have telephones, computers, video conferencing, teleconferencing, and cameras in every single corner of every single location in TYC.)
Force retirement of all the double dippers who are getting paid twice (most did nothing the first time around and aren't doing much but holding down a desk with their feet this time around)
Fire 2/3 of your facility Program Supervisors (especially if they have been transferred more than once) TYC has a habit of just transferring the rotten apples instead of firing them. These include those from closed facilities-they contributed to the demise of those facilities.
Fire any and all relatives of supervisors above Assistant Superintendent(This includes Brother in laws, cousins, and step whatever). Nepotism is alive and well and if you are kin to a supervisor all complaints are squashed.
Your successors will bless you and your staff you have left will bless you--even those of us having to leave this summer, because we will know that Maybe the YOUTH will have a better chance of making it.
In the end, that is what the taxpayers are paying for.
@ 6/12/2011 11:07:00 AM
Please give us details about the corruption. Seriously, here is your chance.
P.S. Corruption does not equal you getting a discipline. Does not equal you or one of your friends or relatives being confirmed on an AMI. Does not equal you getting a performance evaluation you don't like. Does not equal you being moved to a shift or pattern you don't like. Does not equal you not getting a day off you requested. Does not equal someone you do not like getting promoted, whether you applied for the job or not. Does not equal you assuming a rumor you heard was true. Corruption does not equal your feelings getting hurt. If you have anything left, let's hear it. And if/when you name names, tell us if it's direct knowledge or let's hear who you found it out from.
As an outsider, I have heard many comments, good and bad about the commission and its employees. I usually pass on the bad comments about misuse of youth and how staff rip off the state and abuse kids. I assumed most of the talk was just talk. After seeing all the TYC investigations and state agency investigations, I am amazed at what actually goes on inside these prison walls. Youth are not helped, but treated in contempt and abused for failure to follow questionable directions. How can youth grow and learn from employees that are felons and off the wall derilects? The prisons/youth facilities seem to draw bad staff and the supervisors appear to want these difficult/bad people. No wonder youth don't learn good attitudes and good manners, when around staffers that are so criminal and out to hurt youth. The commission needs a thouough cleansing...get rid of all the staff that have been there over two years and start fresh with new, properly trained employees that like and want to help youth. The employee perverts, staff and administrators need to be fired, imprisoned and beaten with whips, for their predator/sexual abuse agncy methods. Everyone in the agency should be investigated, fired and forced to reapply for a job.
No matter what happens I think that anyone at TYC or TJPC that is double dipping should be shown the door. It's time for some fresh perspective and that's one way to open up some oppportunites. It's really outrageous that it's allowed at all, but it certainly doesn't have to continue. NO ONE SHOULD BE IRREPLACEABLE. If someone has set up their job duties to the point that no one else can accomplish them, then they've been allowed to corrupt whatever system they are overseeing.
It is a known fact that TYC transfers problem employees repeatedly instead of showing them the door. But then again, that's what happens when the State's Human Resource Dept. is given more authority regarding personnel than the on-site administrator. Everyone in HR involved with transferring a TYC bad apple should receive a swift kick in the arse.
"When the State's Human Resource Dept. is given more authority regarding personnel than the on-site administrator"
I can only respond to this post by saying, I know you are not referring to Al Price. Our on-site administrator is in control of everything. If she doesn't like someone he or she either has gotten fired, passed over for promotion or not hired at all. This is all the result of spending hours with the facilitys head administrator, before during and after work hours. How fair is this, and where has Central Offices HR staff fallen into this picture? The thing no one seems to understand about this whole system is that all it takes is sucking up to the facility's lead administrators and you can do anything you want and get anything you want.
Everyone who works at these facilities know exactly what goes on, but no one speaks up, they just accept it and go along with it, so when everything falls apart they only have themselves to blame for supporting corrupt administrative staff members.
I agree with the earlier posts. When the new agency is formed, get rid of all of the garbage and hire new staff members who are actually qualified and who want to do the job. Fire all of these staff members who walk around cursing and screaming all day. Hire some lead supervisors who dont sit back at laugh at this behavior and actually impose some discipline.
I agree some retired staff should not be able to double dip.There are retired staff that came back to the agency that were an involved in bettering the agency.David Davis from Giddings came back,organized a behavior management program and trained a crew of Behavior Specialist that taught staff how to manage behavior problems and how to use proper interpersonal skills to build a positive relationship between staff and students.His crew and he spent numerous hours at all institutions traning these skills and doing follow up training to ensure that staff grasp the program,Staff at all institutions will verify that assaults on staff and staff on students decreased over 50%.The public is not aware of this because Behavior manage never got the publicity that the Conextion program is getting.Why don't you do a survey with the staff that were involved in this program and ask them what type of culture did institutions have.TYC has not had a program that taught staff how to use the group process to manage kids behavior since the program was abolished in 2007.The agency adapted the Conextion program that puts staff once again in harms way.The Conextion program is a one on one approach.Staff no longer have kids peers help with manageing behavior.Kids are not included so staff has to try and manage behavior problems alone.This is very dangerous for staff and kids.The group program no longer exist.The only tools available to manage behavior are restrictions and security.Unless a program is developed that involves the kids input. Cris situations will escalate.You would had to worked with the group process to understand what i am saying.Kids will never support a program that dictates to them and doesn't allow their input.Would you support a project that does'nt include your input?To develop this type of program it takes a lot of work and dedication from staff Follow-up training is a must. I dont mean for a month.I am talking about on going follw up training.Holdind supervisory staff accountable to train their staff.Support from Superientendents.Written reports monthly to report progess or degresson of the program.Mr Davis trained me and the bulk of the staff in TYC.His staff and his presence and leadership is badly needed.Before you critisize what i am saying.Do some research. Ask Executive staff why was a program that was working stopped.Ask what replaced the program and ask if their existing programs confronts negative behavior and rewards positive behavior.Ask why kids are no longer haveing organized behavior group on a daily basis.Compare assaults ratio since 2003-2007 with assaults now.TYC dealt a good leader and motivator of staff and kids a dirty hand.Also his team and the Agency.
Ask the student Sheldon how he felt about Mr. David Davis.
After reading all the comments on here about how bad things where I have to wonder why was so much of this kept so secret. It was not until the RIF process started that people had tales to tell. Did you think as long as I have a job, kids being abused and not getting services was OK? Was leadership so poor that you really could not report abuse, even after CT got here?
I mean even with her pretty much taking care of her inner circle first, they knew they brought in because of an abuse scandle! So even with that as a worker you couldnt safely report abuse?
If the crazy numbers you keep reporting on here are half way true of cases and workers being just moved to another place abuse again, you best call the Pope! Not the one who "worked" there, the real Pope. The Catholic church a program kind of like that and it cost them millions, they might have plan Texas might need to know about.
"Please give us details about the corruption. Seriously, here is your chance.
P.S. Corruption does not equal you getting a discipline. Does not equal you or one of your friends or relatives being confirmed on an AMI. Does not equal you getting a performance evaluation you don't like. Does not equal you being moved to a shift or pattern you don't like. Does not equal you not getting a day off you requested. Does not equal someone you do not like getting promoted, whether you applied for the job or not. Does not equal you assuming a rumor you heard was true. Corruption does not equal your feelings getting hurt. If you have anything left, let's hear it. And if/when you name names, tell us if it's direct knowledge or let's hear who you found it out from. "
Does it equal getting a pay raise, special incentives, employee of the year, your own private parking space for meeting "the right person" three hours before work every morning?
I am sorry but there is not ONE real and honest person who can say that they don't know about the activities that go on between top administrative staff members and what they do to be favored at work. I don't believe anyone who trys to play ignorant.
I think there is a sad conclusion to all of these post. It sounds like everyone at least at Al Price and Crockett were only interested in themselves and other staff members. Who was healping, supporting, or teaching these young men whose lives depended on gaining some positive learning experiences while they are in TYCs care?
If staff are carrying on inappropriate interpersonal relationships, half of the employees are related to one another, staff and youth are both abused by aggressive members of management, how have these young men profited by these facilities existance? It sounds like all the administrative staff members are only interested in tagging up with each other? What chance did TYC youth ever have at these facilities? Sounds like a great thing that at least these two facilities have decided to close down!
I hope it isn't true the amount of Staff-on-Staff Duckfesting that was taking place in every facility, during work hours on-site! If so, I would imagine the real reason no one reported anything is because they were sexing in the workplace and knew they could be black-mailed by someone else. I really feel for the few who tried to do right while having to endure inbred idiots turning the workplace into a real shit-pit.
You don't understand. It doesn't matter if you report it. Nothing gets done. Trust me on this one. I filed as many grievances as anyone for violations of policy, and reported all kinds of infractions of the law to the IG. If it has to do with a youth as a victim, something MIGHT get done. But, as far as infractions and shenanigans by an employee, forget it. All you do is bring heat down upon yourself.
This last post I can agree with. There was an employee at the facility where I worked that kept filing grievances and our HRA and another administrative staff member were over heard discussing the employee and how they wish they could just fire him. Maybe you are that employee, but honestly, you are correct, anyone that tries to report corrupt activities get isolated from staff members and activities. Not sure why, I think management would want to know about these things so they could work to correct them.
There is always going to be some conflict in a place where an abundance of people work.People having afairs, back stabbing etc.doesn't cause a reason for people not to do their everyday jobs.Poor leadership from supervisors,poor interpersonal skill training,lack of support from top level management, and not having a system to track progress or degress of programs. And most of all not holding supervisors accontable for not training their staff.Makeing sure that supervisory staff are well trained.If supervisory staff would train their staff according to the OJT manual. All staff would be working under one accord. Kids would not have a way to manipulate the system.Everyone would be doing every thing the same way.Staff wouldn't make as many mistakes. The OJT manual is the guide line for every day operational procedures.It would be very easy find out what staff are reading and following guide lines. All staff would be operating according to a written and adopted policy.I always made sure that the staff i supervised worked according to OJT manual. Any time staff begin useing the Hybrid approach.This messes up the whole operation.Staff become confused and Students become confused.Following the OJT manual makes it impossible for students to be able to manipulate staff. It is also a way to track what staff are not following policy.
"I hope it isn't true the amount of Staff-on-Staff Duckfesting that was taking place in every facility, during work hours on-site! If so, I would imagine the real reason no one reported anything is because...."
In response to your above statement, I can only say:
Are you serious? Not even central office can deny that this has been reported. Admin staff were reported by lower staff members for entering closed dorms together to engage in sexual activities........not sure what kind of investigation took place but the activities never stopped. No one in CO can say that this complaint was not made.
CO staff don't seem to be able to see what happens at the local facilities. Anybody who doesn't go along gets isolated and run off by the local ruling clique.
No justice at TYC.
This may seem cruel to some who will be unemployed soon, but I think the majority of these posts and how staff members, for whatever reason, view these facilities, proves that CO made the right choice in deciding which facilities to close.
After everything I have heard and read about Al Price, I hope that as these individuals leave the work place they leave all of the bad and corrupt behaviors they have learned and seemingly developed behind them when they begin searching for new jobs.
I am glad that this facility was chosen to be closed. With all of the staff misconduct, sexual activity, and alleged abuse of staff and youth that goes on there I think another agency should be careful about hiring one of these individuals.
If you cant keep your pants up and set your goal on the successful treatment of the youth in your care, please get out of the juvenile and youth services field.
6/6/11, 5:17 p.m. speaks the truth: "The exposure at West Texas tells very little about TYC as a whole. It took a one man abuse case for people to convict the entire agency of total mistreatment of children."
10:09, you are correct. Unfortunately people often believe the lies and bullshit they read in the newspapers!
Last two posters: Both of you are full of it. Either idiots or part of the TYC culture of coverup. The whole state knows about TYC and just newspaper articles didn't bring TYC down. You and your attitudes brought forth the downfall of TYC. Acting like it was all madeup and not true. You are both idiots plus, if you truly believe this. The problems could have been solved years ago, except for people like you that lied and turned their heads to abuse and corruption. You ruined the lives of youth, employees and deceived the public by your unknowing and denying what was going on. You can't say you didn't know, unless you admitt that you are an idiot. TYC should die and you and your attitudes and deception should be buried. If you lost retirement and a fix-it job, you deserved it. You screwed kids, employees and the public. Bastards.
Actually, what happened at West Texas is stereotypical of even present-day TYC. If CO hires a person for any job (there or in the field, ex. Ray B.), it doesn't matter how much they abuse kids, fail to learn their jobs, or just geneally screw up. They will be propped up, carried, covered for, or how ever you might choose to characterize it. In TYC, it is preferable to keep an incompetent on the job rather than admit to making in mistake in hiring him/her. Heaven forbid we recognize that a mistake was made and take the steps needed to correct it. That would make one look bad, and Lord knows if you work in CO, you can't make mistakes or look bad. Examples of this doctrine are everywhere if you'd care to look. MAnagement/ supervision via email and/or dvr are good indicators. Check Evins.
11:02, what makes you the expert on TYC? Have you worked for the agency? You are the idiot for posting about something you know absolutely nothing about. Politics took down this agency, not abuse and/or corruption. So, suck this bastard's nuts!
11:14 said it. Check Evins. If CT is periodcially checking this blog, oh hell if the DOJ is periodically checking this blog. Check Evins. The whole con called ACA, DOJ corrective action plans, facility monitoring reports are a total sham. Lies! Damn Lies! That's all these reports are. The folks down here are going about their business as usual. Check Evins. Camp out on all shifts, in security on the dorms, moitor the radio chatter and the landline phones. Last but not least, scan for cell phone traffic and you'll be amazed at what's going on. Check Evins.
I only hope and pray that this sick culture doesn't float over into Juvenile Probation Sector due to "MERGE."
I disagree with merging, run, run, get as far away from the TYC septic sytem as possible.
I can't understand why the legislature would mix horseshit and sugar thinking it will make a great tasting cake?
I'm wondering if Wood is going to have the decency to make the right personnel decisions in her own shop. Not likely for someone who'll sell herself for one dollar. I'm sure that she'll look for ways to keep her TDCJ cronies around, without regards to the best interest of the agency. Like having a training manager, without a training background. I'm sure this is beneficial to the agency.
Now that Crockett is closing she'll have the so called HR CO personnel housed there work from home in Huntsville. Oh, I'm sorry that's already happening!
10:21 - Apparantly you have not read the press releases about TYC arrests of employees, firings,and forced retirements brought out by the Texas Rangers and other investigative agencies over the past four years. Are you in denial or just a simple minded TYC staffer? The states finiancial status caused must of TYC to disappear, but you and your coworkers at TYC brough the abuse and corruption spotlight directly on your shameful agency. Can't look into the mirror anymore without feeling the shame? You were not alone. Many of your coworkers ripped off the state and finally got their own self deserved justive. Enjoy your selfish and ruined life; if you ever had one. You may have balls, but you're still a pussy.
If your filthy mouth that u r using to defend TYC means that u r employed there, I believe every post written about the staff that work there. I wouldn't want someone who even thinks like u working near one of my children. Your attitude and filthy language just provides more evidence to support the fact that TYC facilities r full of disrespectful and nasty mouthed employees.
Maybe u should tend bar or join a gang someone. If u r working with youth please retire!
Go 06: This guy is a loser and probably a great example of what TYCers are really like. He/they dug their own graves. Its difficult to feel sorry for crap.
These postings are good indications that the individ... idiots, responsible for hiring, training, firing, at TYC couldn't pour water out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel. I actually interviewed for a comandant position. I was encouraged to consider running a bootcamp and told that the facility was plagued with personnel problems, needed to be overhauled. During interview process all the HR supervisor could say after each question and answer was... "I really run this place... everything goes through me or it doesn't happen." I was asked what was the first thing I would do to improve recruitment. My reply "Fire the HR person and do all of my own hiring and firing." That was almost 20 years ago. Nearly 4 years later the facility was plagued with sexcapades and wouldn't you know who was mentioned as shagging staff supervisors and the Comandant>>>
As much as everyone would like to ease their conscience by saying "it was politics," Dream on. No one to blame but yourselves and the piss poor conduct in the workplace.
FINALLY THE TRUTH. STOP BLAMING POLITICS.
This old state boy is getting an absolute charge reading the post from you tyc people who can read and write turn on each other. The tyc is imploding on itself and me and my fellow alumnus are celebrating the demise of this animal kingdom. It couldn’t have gone down any better. The old red necks in the 70’s at Gatesville said all of tyc would look like Live Oak school, a bunch of animals in the wild trying to run things with an abundance of sexual deviancy, where out of control racism will be the order of the day. Looks like this 40 year old prophecy came true.
In reality, with respect to a society that needs to blame someone else for their wallowing in crap, with its roots in such thinking as someone else should die for their sins, it really was politics that caused this tyc to become nothing more than a state job corps run by the animal kingdom. Racist politics in the 70’s that declared a class of people so bereft of dignity that the government foolishly thought they could legislate them some. I wonder if the politicians back in the 70’s when they passed these racist affirmative action laws knew this would happen, and thought it to be a cruel joke to play on the state.
The tyc be what it be, you people wants it dat way, well you gets it dat way.
Rot in hell you tyc ass clowns, rot in hell.
Most of them get welfare checks also from the state.
I've received a couple of requests to shut this string down because of vulgarity and abusive comments. I'm not going to, but I did delete a couple of comments that contained no substance but graphic and profane commentary. Please stop that garbage. I don't want to start eliminating comments on juvie justice strings again, and y'all know I'll do it if it gets too bad.
Really all this turning on one another is flat-out pitiful. Many of y'all flaming out here who are no longer at the agency should mind your own business and the ones who still work there, much less the ones just RIF'ed, aren't making things any better for anybody by spewing all this garbage.
Please refrain from making comments on these strings that you wouldn't feel comfortable saying in front of your kids or your grandmother, if only out of self respect if you can't muster respect for others.
Grits, we appreciate your understanding of the situation and stressfulness involved in some of the cases. Thanks for bearing with us. Its like a boiling point that many need to use! We do appreciate YOU.
@ 6/16/2011 08:53:00 AM
Arrests, firings, and forced retirements over the past FOUR years?
Um, I think you need to refresh your browser. You're stuck on a Dallas Morning News article from 2007.
9:40:...Why don't you count the firings, forced retirements and resignations during this period? You won't because you don't even know. Newspapers all over Texas accounted for all these. You are so ignorant or in a state of denial. Please resign or go anywhere from youth in Texas. You have already proven your ignorance and lack of credibility on these posts. Do you even understand verasity? Die away, TYC trash. Go get a dictionary.
One thing is for sure, the fate of all of these facilities was in God's hands. Many won't like that statement, but none the less I believe it is true.
The scripture clearly states if the head is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. If these facilities are so full of corruption then maybe we should see who was in charge of them.
I know that Al Price is the most corrupt work place I have ever experienced. Everyone is two faced back biters and out for her/himself.
I was so thrilled when I heard they were shutting this particular facility down.
The worse experience about the place is the fact that everyone knew about extra marital affairs that were going on between management staff and not only condoned it but supported it.
Alot of people have been hurt, alot of others have been betrayed and are not aware of it. It is not easy working in an environment where those who have sexual relationships with upper management are favored and estemed higher than those who come to work everyday and try to carry themselves in a professional manner.
With things being the way they are, the youths at this facility have been the ones to suffer. And to everyone who thinks its cool to suck up and support these adulterous affairs, I hope your spouse never has an affair on you in the workplace, it is no fun.
Shame on all of you who couldn't care less about any of the youth who were in your care, and only took care of your own selves and your selfish needs.
One thing we haven't looked at is how these TYC facilities are being run. The other thing we haven't looked at is who the thug is that's running the facility. As they say, things don't change at TYC. Why is there always so much ignorance in this agency? Some say it's just incompetence - it's a toss-up.
Everybody (except Central Ofice) knew what was going on at Al Price. Why was this allowed to continue for years and years? That Al Price culture also exists at the other facilities.
SHELDON YOU ARE PIECE OF SHIT, AN IDIOT, A RACIST, A PUNK AND A COWRD. I WOULD LAUGH IF U GOT THE SHIT KICKED OUT OF U!U ROT IN HELL BASTARD.....UR MOMMA SHOULD HAVE RAISED U BETTER AND U WOULDNT OF WOUND UP THERE.... GO TO HELL ....FAST
SORRY GRITS BUT U LET SHELDON SLIDE THOUGHT HE NEEDED TO HEAR WHAT WE THOUGHT OF HIM
2:51 Don't presume to talk for all of us. Why I certainly don't agree with Sheldon I do not agree with your characterization that he is a "piece of shit." You comment says more about you than Sheldon and he posts his name.
If 2:51 is the typical TYC employee, then we can all understand why TYC is so vulgar, abusive, irresponsible, and mistreat the youth in their care. A sad example, but probably what kids see every day while confined at this nasty agency.
Take my word for it, this is absolutely the typical tyc employee's typical attitude and style! When the HRA, Director of Security, Administrative Asistant, and PS's all talk like this, you can expect nothing better from any of the Juvenile Correctional Officers or anyone else!
Place is a wreck! Needs a complete overhaul, beginning with administrative staff members!
I agree, clean house and hire all new staff! I for one hope they clean out Al Price's administrative staff. Send them back to the adult system that they came from.
Its really disappointing that so many employees of TYC are purverts, abusers and 'could care less for youth'. Why has this gone for so long? Many of the employees should be in jail. Please save our troubled youth.
The sad thing about this string, is you dumb asses believe all these posts come from TYC employees. Hell the way most of you spell (purverts) and your basic sentence structure is horrible. Use spell check, or at least have Websters next to you when you attempt to spell a word over three letters! DUMBASSES
To 2:06, Point proven. Are you a tyc employee? Everyone who is defending tyc cannot do so without using some kind of slang or cursing. You also just did so yourself!
Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Georgia State University.
Qualifications to run TYC....
Guess Who ?
Wow! Not sure who you are referring to, but this is the same degree our superintendant had.
One of the key elements missing from this discussion regarding executive management (or should I sat mis-management) of TYC, is the number of local administrators and CO department heads who were "appointed" to their positions rather than being required to go through the competetive hiring process. Among this number are such positions as the head of Parole, the head of HR (and numerous cronies from TDCJ), Regional Directors, both the assistant and the director of Residential Services, the Deputy Executive Director, the assistant and superintendent of Mart I, the assistant and superintendent of Al Price, the assistant and superintendent of Gainesville, the superintendent of Corsicana and the list goes on. Two other things are relevant to this discussion as well. First the number of appointees who "walked" away soon after being appointed and secondly (unless I am mistaken) I thought that mass appointments were only authorized when an agency comes under conservatorship? Should anyone be surprised that TYC is where it is today when the questionable practices and outright corruption are generated from the top down? And once again, it's the institution staff and the kids who suffer for it. Damn!!!!!
I think this string has outlived its productive life. Let's move on, folks.
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