A former Texas prison employee suspected of a being a serial rapist accused of targeting older women will be handcuffed and shackled during his trial after his defense attorney made the request.I'd read about these crimes and remember the alleged rapist being caught, but I hadn't realized until this story that the fellow was a TDCJ employee, much less that he'd previously worked at TYC before the scandals there broke in 2007. It makes one wonder whether such predilections ever played out on the job. According to the Advocate, Harris' attorney plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Testimony was scheduled to begin Tuesday in the trial of Billy Joe Harris, 54, who is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a disabled person. Jury selection for his trial was completed Monday, the Victoria Advocate reported. ...
Harris was found about 100 miles from Rosharon, where he worked in the kitchen of a Texas state prison. Harris had worked in state correctional facilities on an off for about 12 years since 1995, according to state records.
His jobs included two stints at the once-troubled Texas Youth Commission, which was overhauled several years ago in wake of a widespread sex abuse scandal involving guards attacking juvenile inmates.
Harris bounced around to several prisons around the state, working mostly in food service. Background checks before his hiring revealed no prior criminal history, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Former TDCJ, TYC employee on trial for sex crimes against disabled, elderly
The man on trial as the so-called Twilight Rapist in southeast Texas is a former prison worker who also had two employment stints at the Texas Youth Commission. Reported AP:
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13 comments:
I recall some staffers reporting these types of incidents and they were ignored by the TYC administrators. This nut was not the only employee that was passed around, rather than be prosecuted.
His own defense lawyer asked for the defendant to be shackled? I smell an appeal coming along ... possibly a habeas ... possibly a successful one. And it sounds as though a competency evaluation would be in order. Come on, defense counsel. Buck up and do your job.
Our state corrections job corps finest in the news again! Well, you get what you pay for.
Once he gets off, he could have a bright future working in TDCJ’s Crain unit Valley School. Apparently he has all the right skill sets to fit right in with those people.
“once-troubled Texas Youth Commission”
If only that were a true statement. 120+ years of covering up state sponsored child abuse. Our legislators have been covering for employee follies of the state training schools since the inception and up to this latest name change. At least this guy isn’t a pedophile and would explain why he no longer works for the “consistently”-troubled Texas Youth omission.
Sheldon I agree and will second it, that people like this will fit right in with the current crop of Crain Unit staff that uses sex, rape and violence as a weapon. as a weapon. Bringing in guns and alcohol to the unit to confront the inmates with.
Who at TYC hired Billy Joe Harris when he went to work for this agency? What facility did he "work" at? Guess what? No one at TYC will tell. You can put your money on it. TYC hasn't changed-this proves it.
Doesn't anyone think that shackles, leg irons, and the 50,000-volt stun belt that Harris was forced to wear into the courtroom for jury selection is a violation of Prisoner's Rights? Doesn't this display of force have a direct effect on the men and women called in as potential jurors? Harris may be guilty, but he is still only accused of the crimes. If the court is so worried about his outbursts, he is very likely incompetent to be tried. Whoa, pull over...things are getting out of hand in Texas!
What do you think should be done with this mad dog? community supervision while receiving therapy.
LRoth said...
Doesn't anyone think that shackles, leg irons, and the 50,000-volt stun belt that Harris was forced to wear into the courtroom for jury selection is a violation of Prisoner's Rights? Doesn't this display of force have a direct effect on the men and women called in as potential jurors? Harris may be guilty, but he is still only accused of the crimes. If the court is so worried about his outbursts, he is very likely incompetent to be tried. Whoa, pull over...things are getting out of hand in Texas!
9/15/2011 10:45:00 AM
They do the same thing at the Crain Unit in Gatesville. When the lesbian guards are up to no good with the women there.
LRoth, that is certainly pretty extreme and prejudicial. I'd have to know more about his prior outburst to judge if it's justified.
The TYC road goes on forever!!! TYC is a failed Texas Legislative project with a good dose of Rick Perry's help. TYC is a worse place today than it was in 2007. Could it be that TYC is an example of a politically correct but morally bankrupt society? Society in the United States has been in decline for decades. Our future is bleak and most don't have a clue how far down we are. Other countries are failing and I fear we are going to follow. We may be on the verge of great internal unrest, possibly even civil war or revolution. Some social experts believe the United States could break apart just as Soviet Russia has. TYC could just be one of many symptoms of a collapsing society. Lies, greed, dishonesty, and self serving politicians are not going to fix TYC or our society.
I totally disagree with you people that say TYC hasn't changed! It has changed alot, the new TYC would will have several closed door meetings about this. Now there will really be nothing done, But there will be a meeting so CT can honestly say shes on top of it. And absolutely no one will talk...CT and inner circle are busy little beavers keeping new scandls under wraps! When does the statute for responsibilty kick in where CT and company become responsible for scandals. Seems like 2 years is more than long enough!
Because the last thing the governor needs right now is a fellow republician exposed as part of his good ol boy republician system.
Its not only as bad as its ever been at TYC, its worse now because they have help in several high offices with thier cover-ups!
And no one has the balls to ask a follow-up question!
What really needs a hard look is the current way TYC is sending youth from high restriction facilities into medium restriction facilities, half-way houses.
The agency closed a total of 5 high restriction facilities but kept all of their half-way houses open, 9 of them to be exact.
The issue at hand has become, keep the half-way houses full, but all you have to do is look at the type of youths we are recieving at these half-way houses.
Over the past 2 years we have more escapes, assaults on staff and youth, than we have ever had. But this is nothing compared to the level hearings being conducted on these youth for these infractions. What the agency is doing is keeping youth in this vicious cycle of sending them from high restriction facilities to half-way houses and then back to high restriction facilities by way of level hearings.
They are playing a shell game with these youth by attempting to keep their popualtions up, knowing full well that the youth they are sending to half-way houses are not prepared for this move, but when you have beds to fill and money to make, the agency leadership turns a blind eye to safety and the best interests for the youth and staff.
I am sure our elected officials will never take a hard look at this issue but they should, maybe before a serious incident occurs where a youth kills a store owner after they escape from a half-way house they never should have been at in the first place. All you have to do is look, the eveidence is right in front of your eys.
And this is only the tip of the ice berg that is TYC "What really needs a hard look is the current way TYC is sending youth from high restriction facilities into medium restriction facilities, half-way houses.
The agency closed a total of 5 high restriction facilities but kept all of their half-way houses open, 9 of them to be exact.
The issue at hand has become, keep the half-way houses full, but all you have to do is look at the type of youths we are recieving at these half-way houses.
Over the past 2 years we have more escapes, assaults on staff and youth, than we have ever had. But this is nothing compared to the level hearings being conducted on these youth for these infractions. What the agency is doing is keeping youth in this vicious cycle of sending them from high restriction facilities to half-way houses and then back to high restriction facilities by way of level hearings.
They are playing a shell game with these youth by attempting to keep their popualtions up, knowing full well that the youth they are sending to half-way houses are not prepared for this move, but when you have beds to fill and money to make, the agency leadership turns a blind eye to safety and the best interests for the youth and staff.
I am sure our elected officials will never take a hard look at this issue but they should, maybe before a serious incident occurs where a youth kills a store owner after they escape from a half-way house they never should have been at in the first place. All you have to do is look, the eveidence is right in front of your eys."
10/02/2011 08:20:00 AM
This clearly illustrates the true ineffective nature of the CoNextions, incentive based program that is currently in place in TYC. There is no accountability for negative behavior and stages are handed out by staff who are either scared to death of the kids or are so jaded and apathetic that they just can't to be bothered with helping kids. This program does nothing to prepare kids for transition or release. But those halfway house beds stay full, until "Stage 4" model student Johnny is sent back to a facility for assaulting a staff or youth, showing up at the halfway house drunk or stoned, or simply decides to run. I wonder what stage the kids who set the fires in the security unit of one of the more infamous of TYC's facilities might be? And all the while, Central Office turns a blind eye to it all and gives themselves big raises because they're so overworked. Maybe the DOJ needs to come back and take another, closer look at all of TYC. They might be surprised to find that Evins was just the tip of the iceberg and that nothing has, or is likely to change. A true testament to the leadership of Cherie Townsend, Robin McKeever James Smith and Alan Walters.
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