The Texas Tribune has published a brief interview with incoming director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department Michael Griffiths. Those interested should give it a read. See also additional coverage from the Austin Statesman and the Texas Tribune from when Griffiths was installed last month on a narrow, 7-6 vote.
MORE (Sept. 7): The new executive director didn't have to wait long for new controversy to find the agency, as legislative leaders launched heated criticisms in the Austin Statesman today of recent raises for TJJD executive staff which were handed out last spring soon after the agency was formed. Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire called on TJJD board chair Scott Fisher to resign, though Fisher said the raises "were not a board-level decision." Meanwhile, outgoing House Corrections Committee Chairman Jerry Madden opined, "This was thumbing their nose at the Legislature, and there's usually a serious penalty to be paid for that." Perhaps so. Since they've already run the executive director who gave the raises out of the agency on a rail, however, I'm not sure what further penalty the Lege can exact besides rescinding the pay hikes.
Mike Ward quoted Chairman Whitmire saying. "We have more than 200 state agencies, and not one of
them has ever come even close to doing something this stupid." But DPS in recent years gave even bigger pay hikes
to a larger number of executive staff without being similarly berated. When TDCJ
was given extra money for raises to front-line prison staff in 2009,
they dipped into those funds to give substantially larger pay hikes to administrators. Parole board chair Rissie Owens was given a substantial raise despite having dragged the agency into an enormous federal litigation mess over mis-applied sex-offender conditions. And Ward's own paper reported in July that the Texas Department of Transportation recently gave much larger raises to top officials than we're talking about here. The TJJD raises may be untoward, but they're not unprecedented. For once I'd like to see issues at this agency discussed in the press without anybody shouting "off with their heads" like some character out of Alice in Wonderland.
Good luck, Mr. Griffiths. You're going to need it.
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45 comments:
I'm pleased to see someone came to their senses and hired Mike. I worked for him in Dallas.
But one thing Mike has to do is rein in the continued fiscal mismanagement that is occurring in this agency.
I just read where Cherie Townsend raised the salary of two folks that were prohibited from receiving those raises.
My question is this: where is the warrant for her arrest? You all thought she was a blooming flower for the cause? No - it was greed. Nothing short of a criminal prosecution would be fitting on this late-breaking news. It's obvious there is no board oversight on the budget. It is pathetic, and John Whitmire has every right to sound off.
I worked for TJPC, TYC and Mr Griffiths in Dallas County. Mike is the right man for the job---- support him and get out of the way...he has got this!
Well I will be the first to say off with Fisher's head. He either is covering up about hi knowledge first of all the incidents at the state facilities in the past and these pay raises OR he is plain oblivious to the obvious. If that is the type of leader this agency has no wonder it has had problems. For the new director to be successful Fisher needs to go. Plus looking at the individual's who received pay raises they were all TYC rejects. Why did former TJPC staff receive CUTS in pay while these individuals got bumped up? I do seem to remember TYC was the BROKEN agency under Fisher and Townsend. One is gone, time for more. Mike Griffiths, our prayers are with you.
Griffiths is a good choice, and really the only choice. I don't know about other readers but sounds like the job posting was written to try and get the candidate with no prior experience in this field or related field? Hope that is not an indication of poor judgement on the TJJD board behalf.
Someone give a little help here.
Sept 1 there was a post on GFB that Juvenile Justice Agency is planning for 10% budget cutback. And the article indicates that pay raises were given to administrative positions and/or TJJD board positions?
TYC, then TJJD has always had an ignorant urge to strick out in the wrong direction. It's as if the agency, missing a gyroscope, spins around helplessly. The TYC board gave meaning to the term "Ship of Fools." Is ours a cursed agency? Not sure, but our tendencies seem to almost always be wrong and ignorant.
RE: "a little help here"
The pay hikes were given last spring, and to administrators, not boardmembers. The directive for 10% cuts came after that. FWIW, TXDOT got the same directive. It was still tone deaf, but the issues are unrelated.
My question is who did the six opposing board members support and why? Mike was the obvious selection of the three candidates mentioned, IMO.
Agree with Grits on this point - Whitmire needs to chill the eff out with the rhetoric.
Were these raises ridiculous and should they be rescinded? Absolutely.
But it's not as if TYC/TJJD is the only state agency giving substantial raises to executive level staff when direct care staff go years without getting so much as a cost-of-living raise.
When staff at the agency must do more with less, it is tough work but staff soldier through. Unfortunately, many haven't seen a merit increase in years, although they've been merit eligible. It is discouraging to hear about the raises when so many have had to do without.
Mike will do a fine job. I'm very happy for the counties and CO staff to have the opportunity to work with him. He will restore the partnership.
I left the agency due to various reasons, but one of the prime ones is that shananigans like this morning's article in the American Statesman continue to occur. Myself and many others didn't receive merit raises for the past 4-5 years, yet we'd hear stories and get confirmation that execs were getting raises. Despite the lack of merit raises our responsiblities continued to rise due to cuts in staff and not filling staff vacancies. There are a lot of good people working in CO that deserve better, especially on the former TJPC side of the house. Can't speak to TYC's side. I just know their leadership is/was flawed.
Good luck to everyone involved in juvenile justice throughout the state. I believe they will get the ship's course corrected and back to working together for the children of Texas.
Cherie Townsend needs to be located and arrested. Where is the SAO and OIG now? This woman is a complete fraud. She needs to be held accountable. This is the second time she's done that and had no regard for the moral of the line staff who have busted their ass all these years and never received a merit. She needs jail time for this bullshit.
What I can say for TJJD staff formerly from TYC is there is so much talent at central office. If people on the outside knew the level of dedication and the increase in workload despite the decrease in resources, they would be even more upset about the fact that the executives are well-taken care of, but those same executives have staff under them who haven't had a performance evaluation in years, nevermind a well-earned merit increase. Good work should definitely be rewarded--exec or line staff--but if the "money just isn't there" as many have heard, then that should apply to all. The agency is bleeding out talented employees. I hope the new executive director can stop the hemorrhaging.
What I can say for TJJD staff (formerly from TYC) is there is so much talent at central office--as well as the field. If people on the outside knew the level of dedication and the increase in workload despite the decrease in resources, they would be even more upset about the fact that the executives are well-taken care of, but those same executives have staff under them who haven't had a performance evaluation in years, nevermind a well-earned merit increase. Good work should definitely be rewarded--exec or line staff--but if the "money just isn't there" as many have heard, then that should apply to all. The agency is bleeding out talented employees. I hope the new executive director can stop the hemorrhaging.
Under the leadership of the current TJJD chair Scott Fisher the raises, the continued mess at state facilities and the job description that was revised from candidates for the ED position having juvenile justice experience to no such thing. The same Fisher who was chair of TYC during its messed up days.. Same chair who ignored pleas recently from the field to increase funding to divert more kids from state facilities. Senator Whitmire I and many silent others support you in getting this baboon out.. Governor Perry, please listen. Save face. He already screwed up.. He voted against Mike Griffiths.
OIG won't get involved. I guarantee that the Inspector General Cris Love received a raise to just go along with whatever Cheri wanted. He won't do anything to rock the boat. He never does.
What do you expect? TYC hired Love knowing full well that he had no actual supervisory experience as a cop. That's right.
Does anybody know who voted for and against Griffiths in the 7-6 vote? I haven't seen it reported anywhere.
It is so disheartening to work for an agency who had an administration that just doesn't get it.
I know that there are people who post on this board who seem to beleive that everyone who works for the agency is immoral,selfish and in this business for all the wrong reasons. After working in this agency for well over a decade, I can tell you that there are actually people who do this job who are doing it because they are interested in making a difference.
It's those who get hurt and upset the most when stories like this come out. Those people who have been told by their immediate supervisors that there are no money for raises. Those who are encouraged to apply for other positions who never get them because they are not a part of some inside clique who always seem to get those positions.
It is those who are suffering from anxiety and stress who never seem to get the acknowledgement from the people who should be giving it to them the most....Namely those who work in central office who only seem to want to talk to those who work in the field when the screw up.
They have ruled us by fear of rif or termination...And they have done a great job of it. They either halfheartedly tell us that they understand that we're struggling or will tell us that they don't know why we're not happy with what we're making because we're so well paid.....While giving themselves pay raises every single chance they can.
I don't know if Whitmire or other people give a damn about us or not. Whitmire has said that we who work in the facilities should be safe. But it seems he just wants to get rid of the agency alltogether and will do anything to criticize us as he continues his longstanding pissing contest with Rick Perry.
Does anyone in a position that can make a difference understand what we, the staff who are working with the youth who have committed major crimes that their counties don't want, understand or even want to understand our side of thie? Because the one thing that's been consistant with those in Central Office when they've been making sweeping changes to how we work with these youth is that they never get around asking us what we think before they make these changes.
I don't know. I am somewhat encouraged by that Mr. Griffith has said. But I've been encouraged with previous administrators as well.
We'll see.
OK. Sorry for the rant.
All I ever hear is how the kids will start getting more and better education, programs, medical and mental help. It never happens. Kids are still going crazy in the units and cutting on themselves to the point they have to be rushed to the hospital and given blood. There are days dorms and security look like a slaughterhouse with all the blood on the floor and walls. And, of course, parents are routinely not told.
If Mr Griffiths doesn't change the same old "lock 'em up and let 'em rot" mindset that has permeated this agency for as long as I can remember, then nothing will change.
01:31
You said:
"Those who are encouraged to apply for other positions who never get them because they are not a part of some inside clique who always seem to get those positions."
You got it right!
Those in Central Office that you rightly criticize, lot of those were the inside clique who always got promoted. Promoter so many times that they are now in Central Office. Promoted by all those corrupt Superintendents. Promoted year after year after year after year after...well you understand.
Why is Scott Fisher allowed to say things like he did to a legislator and get away with it? Sure the governor appointed him, and why I don't know, but he has done nothing but allow crap to continue. He was chair during the last years of of TYC when it was so screwed up and became chair of this new agency and he allowed IT to get screwed up.
I know Chairman Scott Fisher, Vice Chair Rob Kyker, the public member from Dallas and the commissioner from West Texas voted against Mike Griffiths, not sure who else did. Mike is going to have to deal with them.
In July of this year the superintendents ahd a meeting in Brownwod Tx and discused clsoing the following;
Brownwood Unit
Corsicana
Evins (maybe)
Have they informed any of the employees that they have been awareof this and maybe you may need to look for another job, i seriously doubt this.
Board member Mike Meade, Chief JPO of Ft. Bend County also voted against Griffiths.
By the way, several of those corrupt ones in Central Office will be getting the axe this week.
When Mike Griffiths came to the Juvenile Department in Dallas in 1995, people who did not know him thought that he would last no more than a year or two, as had every predecessor in anyone's memory. Fifteen years later, he moved on leaving an agency greatly respected by the community and the profession. His unique style is suited to gain consensus and buy-in, and motivates his followers to act ethically with clients' interests first.
The TJJD challenge is daunting, but Mike does not take on anything that he can't handle. The children under our care can expect a better tomorrow under his leadership.
I hust recieved an email that james smith and Dr. Mckeever have been fired. Sweet i hope he cleans house and gets all these corrupt superintendents and assists out. He can start with the the halfway house superintendent castaneda in san antonio. That lady doesnt have a clue
Lot of "doesn't have a clue" around the agency, especially in the upper level, promoted from within and/or by whom they new. Lot of fluff jobs in all areas of administration.
I don't understand how/why the 13 top execs manage to get any increase without Board of Directors Approval??? What is the Board for anyway??? Why was there not some over-site of these people at the top? Visibly without over-site, it was simply another opportunity to run-amuck. How too among raise freezes (I thought) through-out the state of Texas, how does anyone, no matter the position or agency and in this economy deserve to be treated or provided better than any of with with any perks? And without the Boaard Approval? And 2nd time under Townsend? They or someone should have known she would do it again. Why is the Legislature not doing more to ensure this is not happening w/the TAX PAYERS MONEY of which there is very little - and of course it seems to me, at the end of the day, if anyone rec'd a raise, ever in TJJD or TYC it should be or been the people who work with the youth - the work directly w/these youth, putting your life, shedule, family, etc. on the line is what permits everyone else to have a job. If the youth cannot be supervised by a staff - there is noooo agency!
Regardless, what is wrong w/our State Government? Bad enough to hear about the raises in the banking industry after having the Feds bail them out - but, how do our governmental agencies manage to have this much leyway w/tax dollars anyway, when there is so little to go around - everywhere in this economy.
Griffith's doesn't need to stop with James Smith and Robin McKeever. I understand why he started there but there's one pumpkin that got fat as well - and that's Mary Wood Director of Human Resouces who gladly accepted a pay raise knowing all to well the line staff have been without for years much less clerical staff. Morale buster.
In Addition, Rebecca Thomas needs to be removed as the "treatment"program developed is ineffective and has caused more safety problems on the facilities. Mr. Walters is another one who needs to go. He has had inappropriate relationships with subordinates and has allowed pay differences between male and female staff to continue.
They need to demote Rebecca - she was thrown in the fire when the ledge chose to dissolve resocialization with no proven program in place. Getting rid of her would be the same as Einstein early on in his life when he said "I am hung intelligent, but have the brains of a horse.
There is no way anyone could have matched that resocialization treatment accountability.Look to vote out the ledge who were responsible for that fiasco. She was alone. Spare her because she took on the impossible, while the impossibly ignorant (Townsend et al. )continued on with a dream that never fitted this state.
I don't think Walters can even get it up anymore after the past five years. To be honest, I couldn't either. It's been disgusting.
God Bless Mike Griffiths.
A ray of light, hopefully, has descended on poor, beleaguered TJJD with the arrival of Mr. Griffiths... I hope.
For quite some time, I've run a rant site that has had very little, if anything, positive to say about TYC/TJJD or most of the upper echelon Admin types that collect a paycheck from the Agency. Having worked as a JCO for over 6 years, I saw way too much waste and corruption etc to have any respect for my supervisors (and many co-workers) so I quit my cushy (HA!)State Job and am now self-employed. Best thing I ever did.
Now, when I see that Mr. Griffiths has pink-slipped some (mis)management folks, it gives me just the slightest bit of hope that maybe, JUST MAYBE, brighter days may be ahead. I will be willing to support his choice to fire everyone and anyone who can't hack the work of doing what needs to be done in Austin and in the dorms, too.
This will mean showing up on campus and finding out who actually is WORKING and who is not... starting with the JCO 6's. If they and the JCO 5's are "outed" as the deadwood most of them are, it will be apparent that a whole new crop of Supervisors will be needed, ASAP, to help get the Agency firmly on track. I don't know where they're gonna find new folks to replace them, but if they don't, it will remain "business as usual" no matter who gets shuffled around at the top. And that would be a shame.
By my count, about 4 of the 13 members of the TJJD board are from urban areas, seemingly in contrast to the demography of the TJJD juvenile population.
Perhaps a better balance could have been struck on that score.
Similarly, it isn't easy to find someone with the combination of JJ administrative experience and political skills needed to succeed in this very difficult job.
Here's wishing Mr. Griffiths the very best.
Bill Bush
Most of the TJJD board has little to know practical juvenile justice experience. A preacer, a car salesman, a commissioner/realtor and a who-knows-what-he-does from Dallas. I don't think anyone should serve on any board who has no experience in the
My name is Johnny. Im 80 years old. I was in Gatesville in 1949. I saw rapes, beatings, bullwhip thrashings, a couple kids getting their hamstrings cut for running away. It was done in the main yard in front of almost the entire population as an object lesson. The guards were abusing kids sexually and physically and taking away their commissary and packages from home. It was even worst at the colored school. The officers and guards were heartless, ignorant bastards. Kids were segregated by skin color. I did not know this level of racial biggity existed. The colored guards were even more heartless bastards to the colored boys. To this day I don’t get why the coloreds treat each other so poorly. Even our first colored president has done horrible things to what we are told his own people. Yet the ignorant bastards will still vote for him. I was from New York and able to read and write, an anomaly among Texas kids even to this day. I ended up with a job in the officers laundry and taught at the colored school so they could fire a civilian colored teacher who was caught with some colored boys having sex with the goats. Sick bastards thought this acceptable behavior. I saw kids with scarred backs, broken teeth and bones, and some who just disappeared if they got too resistant to the slavery. Rumor was they were buried on the other side of the river. When I read about concentration camps I think of Gatesville. How do decent Christians justify a place like that to exist? I lucked out as an out-a-stater because at that time you could buy your freedom for $400. I was only there about 5 months. It turned me into a professional thief with my hand against every sonofabitch who would allow such a place to exist. What Ive learned from the internet is not much has changed in Gatesville or in Texas reform schools. I’m old and still pissed that Texans are so bigoted and the proof is in what they call a justice system. Sick bastards are doing the same to women as they did to kids. Only in Texas is this considered Christian behavior. Lipstick on a pig is a new name to the same agency just like when I was there and they changed the name.
Rebecca Thomas designed this program with Diane Gadow. Diane was out for its initial failings. Rebecca has had the past few years to listen to the field and correct the program flaws. Has she done that? No. Has she had ample time? Definitely. Has she STILL been promoted and now given a raise for this flawed program that has not been fixed? Yes. Sounds like something is fishy.
Look at the pay issues among the superintendents in the facilities. Stan DeGerolami made over $90,000. Donald Brooks makes about $85,000. The others make in the $70,000 range. All but Stan would have gotten a raise. Let's add in the principals. All principals were given a raise to be at $72,900 approximately in 2010. They have received step raises too YET only one school has even made the 180 day school rule from TEA. That isn't all due to corrections/youth services. The education system hasn't been making strides. The superintendent job (from hearsay in the agency) was never posted. It was given to a person who was fired at the principal job somewhere else. The education stats aren't higher but she can manipulate the data. Clint Carpenter taught his protege well... He had a better reign in some aspects but was just as manipulative plus neither can/could get along with the other departments.
08:43,
If you're talking about the current superintendent of ed, she served as the assistant for over a year, and then was promoted. She was never "..fired at the principal job somewhere else." She was the principal for a short time at Al Price when she was put there to try and clean up the mess the principal before her left. When they decided to close Al Price, she was one of the personnel that was deemed a "keeper" and she applied and was placed in the asst superintendents' job in Austin. She's one of the few placements the agency got right. She's definitely a keeper, as she makes the rounds and cleans house as Carpenter rarely did. And, as a feather in her cap, she never got along with James Smith at all that I could tell. She is innovative, thinks out of the box, and gets things done. And, she does something often not seen in the agency: she knows education law and follows it. She also has a solid support base from the other handful of "doers" in the agency and out in the units. Her stated goal is to make the TJJD education department number 1 in the nation.
The only complaints I ever hear about the superintendent of ed is that she actually holds the principals accountable for making the teachers get off their butts and from behind their desks and do their jobs.
Lol. You must not be talking to the other folks in TJJD. She doesn't even oversee the principals anymore. She delegated that duty months ago. As for accountability -- if you look at the schools lack of meeting goals and other information in the department then you'd know. PBIS is another problem under there.
I don't know where you've been, but we're doing PBIS in education in my unit. It's the corrections side that doesn't do their part of PBIS. The superintendent of education has no control over corrections. I don't know where you get the idea that she doesn't oversee the principals. She makes regular trips to all the schools. She PERSONALLY went down to Evins and demoted the principal down to a teacher. She PERSONALLY came down to my unit and read my principal the riot act about making those teachers get from behind their desk and start teaching.
To complain about the superintendent of ed, you must one of those teachers that now has to do their job.
Actually I am not a teacher. Incorrect on your part. However it is very unmotivating to see that poor of an attitude toward teachers there from upper management.
She sent an e-mail out when she got her asst. supt. that directed the principals that they report to him. You need to check your facts.
Evins has higher scores than most schools but didn't make the fundamental days required either.
PBIS is also with special Ed and schools-- That wasn't youth services.
Al Price also had higher scores when Anderson was there. I wonder how that happened? But, he still managed to get himself walked off.
The principals may indeed be answering to the asst super of ed, but that doesn't keep the super from personally making the rounds, which she does regularly. And, my attitude towards the teachers has improved since she took charge. I actually see some amazing teaching now. High expectations with accountability usually gets very good results.
Rebecca Thomas has been protected by the higher-ups so she didn't have to listen to those on the ground and didn't have to adjust to reality.
She got to be as Freaky as She Wanna Be and no one could complain.
Hey Johnny, you must be the oldest living state boy. I remember an old colored man named mayberry who told stories about a goat man. He was the typical arrogant simple minded person who would have such a role in youth corrections but had a vast knowledge of inter species sexual relationships that he was willing to pontificate. That place was and according to even recent alumni still a trip thanks to the special employees hired to suck tax dollars in the name of juvenile corrections work. I don’t think they have any livestock anymore where leadership has to worry about keeping the colored help and boys away from these days. LOL
The agency will always frown on education because it goes against the prison prep school mentality that has prevailed for over 60 decades.
Good luck Mike Griffiths, by all practical reasoning you should be just what the agency needs that it hasn’t had in a long time, an experienced, educated, Anglo male calling the shots. Good luck turning things around from the long list of previous ED fiascos and may your service to our state out shine that of Dr Turman and Mr Jackson.
I have worked for tjjd for over 10 yrs the connection program does not work these youths are out of control glad Townsend is out know they need to get rid of the superintendent who are just collecting a pay check one specially initials GH an she is black on our facility we ar not allowed to send youth out for major disruption the want us to lay hands on youth an put in rooms they get hardly an consequences also they started bribing the youth for good behavior with parties cook outs an give them money for dorm to buy video games etc.. These youth watch cable to tv gang related videos an movies they can refuse to anything they want an we have to beg them to follow program
Gainesville State School is out of control. kids overpowering the staff and staff unable to send youth to security 'ever'. put them in their room, whatever it takes it what you hear, they dont care if staff get hurt, thats why we dont have the staff to run mainly the 1-9 shift, because so many our out hurt, on fmla,stress leave because we are treated so unkind there...they have redone our schedules we work almost 24\7 and wonder why the moral is so low. people walk out nearly everyday. they are treating the locked up youth better than they do their staff. someone needs to have our backs. we need help out there, no one will say anything fear of retaliation, which happens everyday. those of us that need our job keep quite and let them run all over us and we are completely exhausted and stressed out and to the point of just not caring anymore. we, as indivuals, should not have to be treated like this to just have a job. most of us do care enough about these youth to continue to stay and take thier abuse... its bad at GHS. PLEASE HELP!!!! many anonymous jco's presently empoloyed. thank you!
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