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The Cycle and Dynamics of Reform and Neglect in a State Juvenile

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The Cycle and Dynamics of Reform and Neglect in a State Juvenile THE CYCLE AND DYNAMICS OF REFORM AND NEGLECT IN A STATE JUVENILE CORRECTIONS AGENCY: THE TEXAS EXPERIENCE by Paul David Donnelly APPROVED BY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: ___________________________________________ Dr. John L. Worrall, Chair ___________________________________________ Dr. Nadine M. Connell ___________________________________________ Dr. Alex R. Piquero ___________________________________________ Dr. Nicole Leeper Piquero Copyright 2018 Paul David Donnelly All Rights Reserved THE CYCLE AND DYNAMICS OF REFORM AND NEGLECT IN A STATE JUVENILE CORRECTIONS AGENCY: THE TEXAS EXPERIENCE by PAUL DAVID DONNELLY, BA, MS DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CRIMINOLOGY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS May 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their assistance in the completion of this dissertation I thank the following professors and mentors. I would like to express the deepest gratitude to my committee chair Dr. John L. Worrall, for his willingness to help resurrect my dissertation and guide me to the completion of this project. Without his guidance as my chair and my guiding professor, this work could not have been completed. I would like to thank my committee members for their involvement in this project. First, I must thank Dr. Nadine M. Connell for her encouragement and assistance throughout my research and writing. I am also grateful for Dr. Alex Piquero and Dr. Nicole Piquero for their guidance and help, which allowed me to complete this second career journey. December 2017 iv THE CYCLE AND DYMANICS OF REFORM AND NEGLECT IN A STATE JUVENILE CORRECTIONS AGENCY: THE TEXAS EXPERIENCE Paul David Donnelly, PhD The University of Texas at Dallas, 2018 ABSTRACT Supervising Professor: Dr. John L. Worrall This research examines the history of juvenile justice in Texas, from the creation of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) to its current iteration, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). The study is divided into several sections and begins with information on the history of juvenile justice in Texas, from the landmark Morales v. Turman ruling to the eventual dissolution of TYC. The research adopts an intrinsic, single case study design; its purpose is to contribute to future studies of juvenile corrections. The author’s personal experience with juvenile justice prompted interviews with directors and staffers of TYC institutions, members of the Texas Legislature and the juvenile justice department in Texas at large. The interviews and the methodology surrounding this study provide crucial insight into TYC and the institutional system; they also provide a framework for further single case study research of criminal and juvenile justice. This research concludes that the institution model is not sustainable or helpful for rehabilitating juveniles even when the institutions are focused on reform. It is argued that the cycle of juvenile justice is a revolving wheel ensuring reactionary legislation, and this study calls for a new model to ensure the safety of juveniles. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 4 The Origins of American Juvenile Justice ...................................................................................... 7 The Progressive Era and Parens Patriae ............................................................................ 7 The House of Refuge Movement ........................................................................................ 9 The Reform or Training School ........................................................................................ 12 The Child Savers ............................................................................................................... 13 The First Juvenile Court.................................................................................................... 17 Prophetic Criticisms and Concerns ................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 2: THE HISTORY OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS IN TEXAS ........................... 20 Changes in the Texas Criminal Law ............................................................................................. 20 Gatesville House of Correction/State Juvenile Training School ...................................... 21 Gainesville Training School for Girls ............................................................................... 24 The Texas Board of Control ............................................................................................. 25 Murder at Gatesville ......................................................................................................... 25 The Brady School for Negro Girls .................................................................................... 27 Gatesville 2.0 .................................................................................................................... 30 Gainesville 2.0 .................................................................................................................. 32 vi Gatesville 3.0 .................................................................................................................... 34 The Texas Training School Code Commission ................................................................ 35 Gatesville 4.0 .................................................................................................................... 40 The TSYDC/TYC ............................................................................................................. 41 Gainesville 3.0 .................................................................................................................. 42 Gatesville 5.0 .................................................................................................................... 43 James Aubrey Turman: TYC’s First Executive Director ................................................. 45 A Second Murder at Gatesville, 1961 ............................................................................... 47 The Beating of Eddie Kellar/Mountain View Exposé, 1968 ............................................ 49 CHAPTER 3: JUVENILE CORRECTIONS, THE MODERN ERA .......................................... 54 Morales v. Turman ........................................................................................................................ 54 TYC Youth Gain a Collective Voice, 1971-1972 ............................................................. 59 The Trial, June 1973 ......................................................................................................... 61 Turman Resigns, 1973 ...................................................................................................... 63 The End of Federal Court Oversight, 1984 ....................................................................... 67 Ron Jackson, TYC’s Change Agent, 1973-1993 .......................................................................... 70 A Bifurcated System of Juvenile Justice .......................................................................... 74 TYC Critics ....................................................................................................................... 76 Steve Robinson, A New Director for a New Era, 1993-2003 ....................................................... 79 Texas Gets Tough on Juvenile Crime, 1995 ..................................................................... 83 Dwight Harris, TYC’s Fourth Executive Director, 2004-2007 .................................................... 89 Riots at the Evins Facility, 2004 ....................................................................................... 90 vii Pyote, the Beginning of the End of the TYC .................................................................... 92 Investigations Reveal Sex Abuse at Pyote ........................................................................ 94 The Committee Hearing That Changed Everything ......................................................... 98 Timeline of TYC’s Demise and the Creation of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department ............ 99 2003................................................................................................................................... 99 2004................................................................................................................................. 100 2005................................................................................................................................. 101 2006................................................................................................................................. 101 2007................................................................................................................................. 102 2008................................................................................................................................
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