Issues & Complaints Still Arising from Texas Youth Commission
Just 4 years ago The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) was overhauled due to a sex abuse scandal and cover up. During the process most top officials of the agency were fired or forced into retirement while facing charges of physical and sexual abuse of incarcerated youth. Still, the conditions remain unsafe from abuse within the agency according to four incarcerated youth advocacy groups. States such as I don’t feel safe have been made by youths interviewed at the treatment center of Corsicana and the Al Price State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Beaumont. The type of abuse being reported throughout TYC’s lockdown facilities go along the lines of:
- Lack of proper medical and mental health care and educational programs
- In order to keep youth under control , reinstatements have been issued
- And accounts of excessive force being used
- Youth-on-youth violence and assaults in agency prisons in Beaumont and Corsicana
In their defense, Texas Youth Commission offices reported that safety of inmates along with its staff remain top priority. In a matter to take the concerns seriously, they plan to investigate the allegations. The agency also reported that initiatives made in recent years to enact a zero tolerance policy have reduced youth assaults by 61 percent. Complaints today state that even with the overhaul in 2007, little has been done the correct the physical and sexual abuse issues.
In order to ensure the safety of incarcerated youth within the Texas Youth Commission system, Gov. Rick Perry passed several reforms since 2007. Gov. Perry stated that Texas will continue to improve the system without the help of the federal government.
This was stated much to the Legislations surprise. House Corrections Committee Chairman Jim McReyholds, D-Lufkin who is also a member of the panel that investigated the Youth Commission abuse stated that, "when we have allegations like this that can't ensure the safety of the youths in our facilities, we're back to where we were three or four years ago."
"I want answers to each of the allegations. ... I don't want to hear that we're making strides. If what we're doing is not what needs to be done to stop this, then it's time for some changes. It cannot continue."
He called on state leaders to step in immediately to ensure that Youth Commission lockups are made safe.
"It appears we have some dangerous facilities ... that some problems remain," said Whitmire, who in 2009 proposed abolishing the agency in favor of sending nonviolent teenage lawbreakers to community-based programs that have proved more successful. At this point, it seems like an experienced Collin County criminal attorney or Austin criminal defense attorney could be helpful here.
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