AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) started pausing the intake of committed youth last week due to a staffing shortage.
TJJD Interim Executive Director Shandra Carter sent a letter to Texas juvenile probation chiefs on Wednesday, June 29, highlighting the issue. In it, she cites safety concerns that coincide with these shortages.
"TJJD must maintain certain staffing levels to assure safe supervision of the youth in the agency’s care," a spokesperson told KVUE on Thursday, July 7. "The agency is working to resolve the underlying issues and resume intakes as soon as possible."
As of Thursday, there are now 140 committed youth on the waitlist to be housed with the department. They are currently awaiting transport in detention centers in various locations across the state.
"TJJD is staying in close contact with Juvenile Probation Departments to keep them apprised of the situation," the spokesperson said. "The agency regrets that it had to take this action and recognizes that many county facilities also are struggling with staffing shortages reflective of the national staffing crisis."
Carter's letter can be read below:
"Chiefs,
"I am incredibly disappointed to have to inform y’all that we will temporarily be halting intake of youth committed to TJJD. All five state secure facilities are implementing variations of their emergency operation planning. The current risk is that the ongoing secure facility staffing issue will lead to an inability to even provide basic supervision for youth locked in their rooms. This could cause a significantly impaired ability to intervene in the increasing suicidal behaviors already occurring by youth struggling with the isolative impact of operational room confinement.
"Two weeks ago, I contacted y’all about my three options for intake of committed youth waiting for a TJJD bed, but the situation has further deteriorated. As the staffing strength at each secure facility becomes more grim, we have no other option.
"Though the following steps cannot stop our hemorrhaging of staff, the agency is implementing them in an effort to resume intake as soon as it is safe to do so:
- Moving the female behavioral stabilization unit from our Ron Jackson unit to the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility
- Cease the Intensive intervention Programs (IIP) for violent youth at the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility and Evins Regional Juvenile Center, where we treat our most violent youth. IIP is a programmatic intervention that is intended to manage lower-level aggression and violence.
- Reduce female population by 16 at the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex to meet the current available staff, and move them to the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility, currently holding 242 males
- Review youth about to age out of TJJD jurisdiction for potential safe release to the community
- Identifying if any determinate sentenced youth may be eligible for early release to TJJD or TDCJ parole.
"These are the least worst measures, but we are attempting to safely make room for the 130 TJJD-committed youth currently in your county facilities. Please know that I am painfully aware of the strain this further causes in the detention bed crisis. I fully recognize that our biggest risk here is a youth who should be detained is in the community and commits a horrific violent crime.
"I am happy to answer any questions or concerns."
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