tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post3139120212614297250..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Did understaffing cause "riot" at TYC's Gidding unit?Gritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-39530547803112905492013-10-15T19:26:13.576-05:002013-10-15T19:26:13.576-05:00Wow, Sheldon! 004****? I was a 112****. Talk about...Wow, Sheldon! 004****? I was a 112****. Talk about a time lapse! The kids thought I was an old school, because they were up in the 122****'s by the time I left!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-24385339150880931002013-10-15T19:18:21.180-05:002013-10-15T19:18:21.180-05:00Post 3
Also, you don't make racist &#**...Post 3<br />Also, you don't make racist &#**'s into JCO 5's, who gives one of the rapists mentioned above a bag of chips every week, while she sends white people to security for singing a hymn on Sunday. You also don't make physically incapable people the HEAD of SECURITY! That's what we call retarded. Actually, that's pretty average for GSS.<br />Okay, I'm getting a little excited here.<br />Just an off-thought of my ADHD/Asperger's brain, there's a microwave here with a sign that says 'For service or damage requests call ***-****.'<br />You can request damage? Awesome! JJK. I guess whoever does these posts can edit that train of thought out if they want to.<br />Back to the topic. TJJD is a poorly run institution, run by liars and the like. However, it has good benefits, and has helped thousands of kids, like myself, to recognize why they committed their crimes, what they can do to prevent it from happening again, how to cooperate in a setting where the guy sitting next to you has a completely different view on life. It has also helped me have victory (for the most part) over my Asperger's Disorder.<br />I see TJJD as a beneficial institution, just in need of a better brain, if that makes sense to anyone other than me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-90409175159781718672013-10-15T19:17:53.873-05:002013-10-15T19:17:53.873-05:00Okay, I have to separate this into three posts, be...Okay, I have to separate this into three posts, because it was too long.<br />I also knew a kid who got raped, I won't say his name, but if anyone was there when I was, they'd know who I'm talking about. He reported it, it was never proven, because it happened in a cell, and there are no cameras in the cells. Open bay has been good for most of the kids. Keep open bay, also. Open bay makes it easier for the staff to supervise the dorm. The two kids who raped this guy (again, no names) both went to halfway houses and got out, and never had to do parole or probation. When they turned 19, their crime was sealed in a juvinile record. They also fought habitually, disrespected staff continuously, exposed their private parts to female staff often, and participated in almost every riot (I was there for 3, in 3 years and they were in all but the last one).<br />The kid who got raped never got any counseling, no sympathy from the staff. He started misbehaving (really, just disrespecting staff verbally)and then he was transferred to adult prison, where he probably still is. The two who raped him were very into gangs, bragged about their crimes, and were extremely likely to re-offend, while the kid who was raped was not in a gang, was quiet, shy, and used to cry every time he had to tell his crime in treatment, because he was so sorry he did it.<br />This is really just another inconsistency in justice in the TJJD, or at least at GSS.<br />One thing that Mr. D did on a regular basis, was have a meeting with all the students on campus (split into two groups, because the chapel can't hold all of them at once). He'd ask them how the campus could be improved. Of course some kids said 'fire so and so' or 'better food' (duh), however some of them had actual, beneficial answers, such as the buying of better shoes (the ones we used were horrible: after a week, you'd have holes; after a month, there'd be no heel at all), or the improvement of the texts we use in treatment. The texts we used (and sadly, never changed) only told us that we were bad people and that we should never re-offend, because we were worthless. The treatment itself was different, because the caseworkers are better at people skills than the Asperger's victims that wrote the books.<br />Then, after his meeting with the students, Mr. D would have a meeting with the staff to see what they thought.<br />Another problem is the high carb, low everything else diet that they serve you there. High carb diets often result in increased depression, which leads to increased kids on suicide watch (which is NEVER treated seriously or with any ounce of sympathy).<br />Also, the compliance officers, that I mentioned before are a rediculous installment. WHO CARES if the document on one dorm is a file behind the one in another? WHO CARES if one dorm has extra blankets in storage? WHO CARES if the shadows in the shadow board are filled in or just outlined? And if they used black or gray paint to do it with? Who cares if the tools in one vocational class are black, and the others are blue? if the LK's and the crips couldn't have cared less, then I'm sure they could've too. At least they should.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-4824398257973267432013-10-15T19:14:15.153-05:002013-10-15T19:14:15.153-05:00Okay, I posted earlier starting with: I was there,...Okay, I posted earlier starting with: I was there, it was fun. At least I guess I posted earlier. I'm posting again, before my earlier one has been okayed.<br />I'm seeing a lot of comments from people who really know what they're saying, and a few that <i>think</i> they do, not to insult anyone.<br />TJJD has excellent treatment programs. The amount of kids that recommit on capital and sex offences is incredibly low (something like 2%). <br />When I first got to Giddings, there was a lot of respect between staff and students. Near the end of my stay, they closed several state schools: the male side of Ron Jackson, Al Price, and Crockett. This moved a lot of kids to Giddings. These new kids didn't have the same kind of mindset as those of us who had been there at Giddings for a while. To us, you only fought when necessary, you gave respect to staff who didn't try to force their power, and most importantly YOU DID NOT SHOW YOUR DICK TO THE FEMALE STAFF. We believed in treating women with respect, and the people who did do it were treated like complete idiots.<br />When the kids from the other state schools came, suddenly it was cool to 'wang off' to the staff, as they called it. It wasn't just accepted, it was promoted. They'd have one of the crash dummies 'hit her up' first, what they call a 'grooming ritual' in sex offender treatment, and if she didn't refer him to security, then the other kids would join in (not all of us, of course).<br />Mr. D said that he was going to file charges against people who did that, but the board fired him before he got around to it. And it wasn't just the sex offenders who did that either, they didn't start it. The murderers and robbers didn't start it, the kids who actually had to serve time didn't start it. It was the 'general offenders,' the kids that were transferred over from other schools, that started it. They knew that at 19 (or 21 depending), they'd get out regardless, no matter what (short of repeated assault on staff charges). Others of us had sentences that lasted past when we were adults (mine lasts until I'm 32). We were the well behaved ones. All of us felt sorry for our crimes and didn't want to commit another. We did our treatment, and got out. TYC/TJJD was a lifesaver for us. TJJD should not be shut down, in my opinion. I believe it should be reformed. Bring Mr. D back! Do something, other than worry about if us kids have enough movies to watch, or what kind of cable we have. You can fight, beat a kid to bits, and get out of security the next day? There's not enough room in security for all those kids? I hear Dorm 1 is still unoccupied, what about throwing them in there? It has cells.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40135124580498343212013-10-15T17:54:08.890-05:002013-10-15T17:54:08.890-05:00I was there. It was fun, honestly, and had a purpo...I was there. It was fun, honestly, and had a purpose. The kids were tired of the staff feeling that they had to prove their power like butt-hurt policemen. They should just do it like some of the staff who've been their a while and know how to get respect: Be cool, but don't take disrespect.<br />It was also a lot more than was reported, as it always is. The spokes people of TYC (TJJD now)always make it seem as though nothing major happens, because they don't want the population to feal fear.<br />We used to have a supervisor there, Mr. Degerolami (I think that's spelled right) who ran the state school very well, until his higher ups told him that he was becoming too strict. After they forced him to, practically, not punish anything, the whole place went downhill. Fights, riots, attempted escapes (which were not all <i>REALLY</i> attempted escapes), and overall disrespect towards staff was very common after that. Mr. D tried to expose some cover up by his higher ups (or at least that was the rumor), so they fired him. Mr. Smith, his former boss came in to replace him, and ran the school just as badly as he forced Mr. D to.<br />Not that Mr. Smith is all bad. He also helped relax dress codes and stupid restrictions that were in place as layovers from 2007 and before. He also helped give the kids a college program via Navarro College.<br />Of course, the commissioners who got fired because of there cover up years ago became the group that creates all TJJD's rules and procedures. They say stupid stuff like "the security forms on dorm 4b are on the top file drawer, but on 10a, they're on the bottom. That's inconsistent filing. We should reprimand the staff for that."<br />They also created the 'compliance officer,' which sounds like someone from G. Orwell's 1984, and they should be.<br />Well, I guess that concludes my rant for now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-28330566845156473642013-10-15T17:48:36.357-05:002013-10-15T17:48:36.357-05:00I was there. It was fun. It was a lot more than wa...I was there. It was fun. It was a lot more than was reported, as it always is. The spokes people of TYC (TJJD now)always make it seem as though nothing major happens, because they don't want the population to feal fear.<br />We used to have a supervisor there, Mr. Degerolami (I think that's spelled right) who ran the state school very well, until his higher ups told him that he was becoming too strict. After they forced him to, practically, not punish anything, the whole place went downhill. Fights, riots, attempted escapes (which were not all <i>REALLY</i> attempted escapes), and overall disrespect towards staff was very common after that. Mr. D tried to expose some cover up by his higher ups (or at least that was the rumor), so they fired him. Mr. Smith, his former boss came in to replace him, and ran the school just as badly as he forced Mr. D to.<br />Not that Mr. Smith is all bad. He also helped relax dress codes and stupid restrictions that were in place as layovers from 2007 and before. He also helped give the kids a college program via Navarro College.<br />Of course, the commissioners who got fired because of there cover up years ago became the group that creates all TJJD's rules and procedures. They say stupid stuff like "the security forms on dorm 4b are on the top file drawer, but on 10a, they're on the bottom. That's inconsistent filing. We should reprimand the staff for that."<br />They also created the 'compliance officer,' which sounds like someone from G. Orwell's 1984, and they should be.<br />Well, I guess that concludes my rant for now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31751728808869875962013-09-25T23:52:00.117-05:002013-09-25T23:52:00.117-05:00We did it because we were so tired of the staff po...We did it because we were so tired of the staff power struggling because they know us at Giddibgs were all doing years for felonies and we can be transfered to prison so Giddings has a lot more structure and staff abusing power cause they see a kid who used to be a killer or robber and now is try a be goodXVnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31631483956752573522009-03-11T05:17:00.000-05:002009-03-11T05:17:00.000-05:00yall don't know what the fukk yall are talkkin bou...yall don't know what the fukk yall are talkkin bout but its interesting to read the things yall think about it. look reality is tyc should be shut down!! theres so much shit the public doesnt no about the facilities!! the drugs, the sex,(with female staff) i aint gay so dont get it twisted,shit staff even help with providing tattoing material, or other contraband like porno pikks for those sex offenders, amd they also provide security for permission fights. but any way if yall really want to do something about it get at me thru my e-mail chukkdogg@yahoo.com i am a witness as well as a victim of tyc crimes cause it is a crime to have sexual relations with a 16 year old male if u are already a 26 year old and older female rite?? well those are sum words from a former inmate at al price of 2007moses velahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16100176003374694449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-45012031397592439382008-05-25T22:15:00.000-05:002008-05-25T22:15:00.000-05:00the other thing, people think that "treatment" is ...the other thing, people think that "treatment" is somehow soft or easy or less punitive than more "punitive" or "correctional." This is clearly ignorant.<BR/><BR/>Ask any kid in TYC if they would like to be transferred to a facility where they have NO privileges but are able to just "do their time" and don't have to participate in treatment groups and go to school, and be held accountable for their behavior, they would do anything to be able to go to that facility. <BR/><BR/>Making youth examine their lives, decisions, past behavior, current behavior, and future goals is not easy. it is difficult.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53433999498590077472008-05-25T22:10:00.000-05:002008-05-25T22:10:00.000-05:00i have to say more. make it more clear. research s...i have to say more. make it more clear. research shows that providing treatment, delivered by quality staff, with intensive programs, and low staff to student ratios, serves to not only reduce recidivism, but also lengths of incarceration. WE SPEND LESS MONEY. Maybe someday someone will be able to market the idea that treating juvenile delinquents is FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE POLICY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-14108690095039898582008-05-25T22:07:00.000-05:002008-05-25T22:07:00.000-05:00they are being punished but need treatment. Provid...they are being punished but need treatment. Providing intensive substantive treatment, provided by highly qualified professionals, serves to reduce recidivism. Reducing recidivism reduces crime, court cases, jail cells in counties and juvenile detention facilities. The effects can be seen quickly if implemented correctly, which includes administrative personnel who know what they are doing and field personnel who know how to implement and do it well. TYC cannot sustain a fully staffed AND highly qualified treatment workforce at the current pay scale. Thus, whatever they try to do will not succeed. It will only be futile efforts to implement "evidence based programs" which by default will not be evidenced based in TYC due to staff (caseworker}/student ratios. This has been made clear by the consultants hired to train TYC employees in the new treatment program components.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-44695577448583629162008-05-23T20:12:00.000-05:002008-05-23T20:12:00.000-05:00In other words, voters don't like taxes, and they ...In other words, voters don't like taxes, and they don't want their politicians spending their tax money on anything for which they cannot see an immediate gain. AND... the average taxpayer does not give a damn about reforming delinquent adolescents. In the popular view, they are criminals by definition because they committed criminal acts, and all they deserve is punishment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41720355839053230642008-05-23T20:09:00.000-05:002008-05-23T20:09:00.000-05:00Because politicians need to get re-elected. They d...Because politicians need to get re-elected. They don't get re-elected based upon long-term results. Sad, but true, and certainly not just with TYC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-67454935053008437652008-05-22T21:34:00.000-05:002008-05-22T21:34:00.000-05:00"no excuses"exemplifies the general lack of intere..."no excuses"<BR/><BR/>exemplifies the general lack of interest-attitude in Texas towards juvenile justice issues. <BR/><BR/>There are explanations for the current problems and they include TYC administrations, the legislature, and current and previous governors.<BR/><BR/>The real problem is that TYC does not pay its employees enough money to keep and attract enough highly qualified staff (in all departments). <BR/><BR/>Read the new lately...TYC has to hire state hospital rejects. <BR/><BR/>There are numerous vacancies, in all departments, which directly impact the quantity/quality of treatment. <BR/><BR/>How can you effectively run a facility with numerous caseworker, program administrator, and psychologist vacancies?<BR/>These are the positions that drive treatment. <BR/><BR/>Why doesn't TYC pay competitive salaries to attract highly qualified staff? In the end it saves money...Significantly increase salaries and raise the level of education for juvenile corrections officers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-66726954137538707742008-05-21T23:38:00.000-05:002008-05-21T23:38:00.000-05:00not sure what your beef is with AL Price but thing...not sure what your beef is with AL Price but things seem to be going better there. You must be one of those that got fired or one that has no intentions of being part of the new program. <BR/>Al Price was one of the better facilities at one time and has gone through some turmoil but is getting back on track.<BR/>Currently AL Price does not appear to be going through any hell that MR. Walters is putting them through in fact, when he has been at the facility, he has been nothing but nice and very supportive--I see no micro management going on thereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-63921858284142764572008-05-21T21:49:00.000-05:002008-05-21T21:49:00.000-05:005/21: Certainly you haven't been paying attention!...5/21: Certainly you haven't been paying attention! Al Price is the centerpiece of the New TYC. It doesn't matter what that upstart from Florida wants. He has no real power. TYC will be what the legislature wants it to be. The rural facilities must go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-80534875263859689582008-05-21T08:52:00.000-05:002008-05-21T08:52:00.000-05:00We need more institutions like Al Price? ROFLMAO! ...We need more institutions like Al Price? ROFLMAO! Your nuts!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-32840382937365583662008-05-20T07:49:00.000-05:002008-05-20T07:49:00.000-05:00Wait a minute - Al Price is not in a rural setting...Wait a minute - Al Price is not in a rural setting. Quit criticizing it - we want to close the rural institutions, not the one closest to an urban area. Your criticisms of Al Price do nothing to forward that agenda. Please stop criticizing Al Price. It is the centerpiece of our new strategy of placing institutions near urban areas. Everyone knows that it is the rural red-necks who screwed up TYC. We need more institutions just like Al Price.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-85008860061282230802008-05-16T06:49:00.000-05:002008-05-16T06:49:00.000-05:00Please explain; "Chip is trying his hardest to mak...Please explain; <BR/>"Chip is trying his hardest to make things happen but cannot get clear understanding with his followers. Al Price is going through total hell right now due to micro-management thru Chip's law and order".<BR/><BR/>In one breath you pat him on the back and in the other you criticize!! Are you saying the leadership at Al Price is not doing their job and Chip has to manage?<BR/>Let's all be honest about Al Price, it's never been a good facility no matter who you put in place and never will. Lets give this place away and please the legislators who state they want more closures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-11107763422206566982008-05-15T22:17:00.000-05:002008-05-15T22:17:00.000-05:00The true problem still lies at the top rank. No on...The true problem still lies at the top rank. No one in their position knows what they are supposed to be doing. There has not been any clear assignment with duties assigned in the top ranks. They are flying by the seat of their pants trying to do what seems right but it is not working for one reason or the other. Mainly budget reasons. Chip is trying his hardest to make things happen but cannot get clear understanding with his followers. Al Price is going through total hell right now due to micro-management thru Chip's law and order.<BR/><BR/>I hope that Richard will step up soon and see the real picture before things start snowballing to other campuses.<BR/><BR/>Purchasing is another big issue, Chris Burton has got things so screwed up its become plum funny! Hub this and Hub that...go back to the old way..you are not saving anybody any money!!!<BR/><BR/>You guys in CO need to take a break from the Big City and get out in the field and see how things are really done !!!!!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-55417500231071468752008-05-13T21:58:00.000-05:002008-05-13T21:58:00.000-05:005/10 8:21,You can't believe everything you read. T...5/10 8:21,<BR/>You can't believe everything you read. There are many youth receiving treatment, doing well, making changes. Not all of TYC has gone to hell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-46333979609928801152008-05-13T21:54:00.000-05:002008-05-13T21:54:00.000-05:00what facility are you at where you are supposedly ...what facility are you at where you are supposedly not doing the transitional treatment program? Are you not assessing behavior phases? If not what are you doing? maybe more importantly why not?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-6854147565541192762008-05-13T16:02:00.000-05:002008-05-13T16:02:00.000-05:00Back in the day 1970s we called it a Geronimo. So...Back in the day 1970s we called it a Geronimo. Some kids gang fought, some broke state property both inmates guards and material items, some just wondered around and smoked weed. Rangers were called, county sheriff as well as the schools elite security team. Hay we were just being kids we thought, letting off some steam. The red necks in charge of us kicked our ass, got us under control, doped us up 4 times a day on malarial. Once we thought we were going to march on Austin, what a joke. <BR/>TYC has its hands tied when it comes to animal control and they are obviously to ignorant when it comes to segregating and rehabilitating. Segregating the hard ass’s from the how did I get hear and what can I do to get out. But, it’s still a great place for a kid to gain the skill sets to "get over".<BR/>Sheldon,<BR/>TYC#47333Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-86846877369442136302008-05-11T22:36:00.000-05:002008-05-11T22:36:00.000-05:00What can you expect wnen this agency has been with...What can you expect wnen this agency has been without a behavior management program and a treatment program.The agency has a specialist in every area but behavior management.This program was done away with and replaced with nothing.You have to teach a child how to behave before you begin treatment.Their behavior pattern has to be interrupted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-78513827516245166502008-05-11T18:25:00.000-05:002008-05-11T18:25:00.000-05:00Actually, the ACA requires sanctions for major rul...Actually, the ACA requires sanctions for major rule violations. Chip Walters and the Ombudsman are putting together the action plan for that. It should be out sometime this week. <BR/><BR/>The main problem is that reforms were delayed for a year. Madame Pope fiddled while TYC burned.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com