TxD Y200.6 J826 95/09 i1OCUMEN!TSW0 :VTRV 95-28JAN0. i9; Texas Youth Commission September 1995, Fall Issue 4900 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78765 News and Information from throughout the Agency Lindgren resigns; Briscoe named acting de puty director In this issue: ay Lindgren, Deputy Executive Direc- Lindgren's duties in Rhode Island will tor of the Youth Ccommission since include responsibility for youth correction Marlin 'Reception January 15, 1988, as resigned to ac- juvenile probation, pretrial detention, men- cept the position of Director of the Rhode tal health services for children, and child Center' opens Island Department of Children, Youth and protective services. His appointment was Story on page 7. Families, effective August 15. made by Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Executive Director Steve Robinson ap- Almond. pointed Judy Briscoe, TYC's Director of "It has been an honor to serve on what Outstanding 1995 Delinquency Prevention, as acting deputy I am certain is the best juvenile corrections director. Employees Honored (rontinuedd o"rpage ) Stories and photospages 11-16. IN THIS ISSUE Legislation.................................. 3 Annual Workshop.........................11 Construction Contract .................. 15 RIF Policy......................................23 New Administrators.................23 m SanctionSancion Unit......25nit.................................2 Former TYC Board Member Lary York, center was honored when the TYC halfway house in Corpus Christi was renamed York House. Also pictured are current Board Chairman Gary D. Project RIO....................................26 Compton ofAmarillo, left, and State Senator John Montford ofLubbock; keynote speaker SECTIONS Halfway house renamed to Around TYC ............................... 3 honor former Board Member Volunteers ............. 18 e Corpus Christi halfway house, formerly called Nueces House for the county in Youth g ......................... 20 Which it is located, was renamed "York House" on May 18, 1995, in honor of former Human Resources.................22 TYCBoard Member Larry York of Austin. Cultural Events......................... 24 Ceremonies were held to mark the occasion, during which Senator John Montford Programs ...................................... 25 of Lubbock made the keynote remarks. (continued on page 8) i OF NT DEP. L ~rUA'ES 76203 2 JOURNAL 2 TYCTVC JOURNAL The former state ide reception center in Brownwood is beir ng renovated to house a new sanction unit for youth who violate parole. The 128-bed program will be a 60- From the day program. We have had you th in two conserva- Executive tion camps this summier as pilot programs, the CT-11, an80-foot minesweeper, and the Gulf Coast Trades Ceriter camp. Kids live in Director tents with wood floo rs at the Gulf Coast camp. Both require ve ry hard work and our youth have responded very well, so we will be continuing these t two programs. TfC has been Our specialized'g ang intervention' pro- gram at Gainesville State School is being 'changing course' continued, with emphasis on controlling for several months... gang activity, while c ontinuing to encour- age and assist youth to give up their gang Now we've "Come About!" Steve Robinson, Executive Director affiliations. For the last year, the Youth Commis- I am extremely optimistic about our new I do understand that the "Sixteen-Hour programs to place youth in jobs: through sion has been 'changing course' in Day" challenges staff a lot more, but I've Project RIO (see article on page 26) in co- the way we provide services to youth- also heard positive comments about shifts operation with the Texas Workforce Com- ful offenders. And numerous other "moving more quickly." mission; and through a construction skills changes are in the works. Most of those 16 hours are scheduled pre-apprenticeship pr gram at Giddings, in I believe we are currently at the point with meals, chores, exercise, academic cooperation with Ho me Builders Institute, where we can say we've "Come About!" classes, counseling and resocialization which was kicked off September 1, 1995. We are rapidly opening new programs, re- "groups." Additionally, youth will be ex- The first 15 youth will receive 750 hours structuring old programs, and going about pected to do community service projects of training and 90 percent will be placed in the job of putting a new system into place on campus, as well as in the community career-type employee nt. The Institute will which is capable of responding to the in- (under strict supervision), and some youth place a full-time job p lacement coordinator ternal needs of the agency and the external will be doing paid jobs on campus. Half- at Giddings. I welco me this excellent op- needs of the public. way house residents are also continuing portunity to develop this alliance with the As we go to press, we are beginning to be heavily involved in volunteer work community. the task of reorganizing our administration. in their communities, and many will hold We are restructuringng our parole services, Our new "reception center" is now fully down paying jobs in the community. and we're downsizin g staff as we step up operational at Marlin - with all youth com- Youth earning money for jobs will be contracting with juve nile probation depart- mitted to TYC (except for those from the required to pay restitu- tion, if the court ments for parole ser vices. We expect su- South Region) being transported to that has ordered it, and court- g pervision ofparolees, whetherby TYC Com- location by the committing counties. ordered child support munity Corrections Officers or by con- The Marlin program is being called the Our "look" has also tracted county probate ion officers, to be far "assessment and orientation" center, to re- 'Come About.' more intense than in the past. flect on the longer length of stay at the first Standardized clothing and In short, we have "Come About" after TYC placement before a permanent place- state-issued footwear is - carefully considering g how to go about ment is determined. Youth begin their ori- standard dress in insti- - X . "Changing Course." entation into the Youth Commission dur- tutions, no jewelry Asalways, Iwelco me your thoughts and ing a 60-day stay, and academic classes are (other than religious) is comments as we tu rn our attention to in- being conducted. permitted, and standard creasing our emp hasis on security, con- One of our most important new goals in haircuts are given on ar- trol and public safety. W EVERY program is to require kids to partici- rival. pate in structured activity during every Recreational televi- waking hour - what we're calling "the Six- sion is permitted only as teen-Hour Day." Instead of "free time" to a special privilege, and . watch TV, play games, and visit, youth are then onlyvat limited times -i now being required to focus on a specific We have begun sev- activity, such as reading, watching educa- eral new, specialized pro- tional videos, doing homework, or writing grams. letters. TYC JOURNAL 3 lYC JOURNAL 3 Legislation enacted Delinquent mentally retarded youth by 74th Legislature now come to juvenile correction system there was a prohibition on A call for juvenile justice re- Previously form in Texas by the Gover- flected in the omnibus juvenile jus- TYC from accepting a mentally retarded major change in philosophy is re- nor and legislative leaders tice law passed by the 74th Legis- youth, but that law was repealed. has resulted in many new lature: Mentally retarded youth are now Since the law went into effect May 31, laws which will impact the being committedto TYC, as ofMay 31, 1995. the agency has contracted with a private Texas Youth Commission. Prior law provided that a child in juve- provider to provide residential treatment Numerous bills were in- nile court who was believed to be mentally for 16 mentally retarded youth who are com- troduced during the 74th Legislature to retarded was first dealt with by TXMHIMR mitted to TYC. At least 24 youth commit- change the juvenile sentencing statute. and, only if released by that agency, would ted prior to that date, and already in TYC Many offenses have been added to the de- juvenile proceedings be resumed. placement, have been identified as eligible. terminate sentencing provisions, coupling them with statutory minimum length-of- stay requirements for administrative parole eligibility. The results were incorporated into an omnibus juvenile justice bill, House Bill 327. The major change included the addi- tion of "punishment" into the agency's purpose, and emphasizes the accountabil- AROUN D TYC ity and responsibility of both the parent and the child for the child's conduct. A parent, managing or possessory conservator of a child will be required to attend transfer, adjudication, disposition $250 million appropriated for next biennium and release hearings, and employers are rity fence. prohibited from firing employees who are Biennial operating funds of $250 The Jefferson County required to attend hearings. million have been appropriated for State School, Beaumont (scheduled The list of offenses for which a juve- the Texas Youth Commission for to open in August), would be expanded with the addition of nile may be given a specific sentence of fiscal years 1996 and 1997, following work three 48-bed dormitories as well as comple- commitment to TYC was expanded to in- by Legislative budget conferees. tion of the physical education/vocation clude indecency with a child, sexual as- An additional $55.5 million was appro- priated for construction, including conver- building. sault, aggravated assault; injury to a child, Also to be constructed are 48-bed elderly individual or disabled individual; sion of several adult facilities, and construc- dorms at both felony deadly conduct involving discharg- tion and renovation of TYC facilities. Brownwood and Giddings, and two 48-bed dorms at Crockett. Other ing a firearm; a criminal attempt to commit The funds will provide for a residential average daily population of 2,760 in FY 1996 construction includes perimeter fences at six of the offenses, criminal solicitation, Crockett and Corsicana, and a new admin- criminal solicitation of a minor; certain of- and 3,675 in FY 1997.