DOJ: 5 Texas juvenile justice centers violated the Constitution
DALLAS - An investigation conducted by the United States Justice Department finds that conditions at five Texas juvenile justice facilities violate the Constitution.
The report made public on Thursday details the abuse that children in TJJD facilities faced, including the Gainesville State School located 70 miles north of Dallas.
LINK: 2024 Texas Juvenile Justice Department Findings Report
Lawmaker files bill to dissolve, replace Texas juvenile justice system
A state lawmaker says it's time to dissolve the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and switch to treating teens in trouble by focusing on mental health rehabilitation and intervention.
The report states staff routinely exposed children to excessive force and prolonged isolation, failed to protect children from sexual abuse, and failed to provide adequate mental health services.
The TJJD also failed to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities.
"To reach our conclusions, we consulted with experts, inspected all five facilities. We spoke with hundreds of children in custody, as well as TJJD leadership, facility management, security staff, clinicians, and education staff. We also reviewed thousands of pages of documents and reviewed hundreds of hours of video," said Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
Dallas County juvenile director resigns after general inspector's office opens new investigation
Executive Director Darryl Beatty announced his resignation Friday. This comes after the inspector general's office opened a new investigation in light of what they found in a surprise visit this week.
In addition to the Gainesville State School, the investigation also found violations at the Evans Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg, the Giddings State School in Giddings, the McLennan County State Juvenile Correction Facility in Mart and the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex in Brownwood.
The DOJ said it is working with state officials to remedy these violations, institute needed reform, and improve outcomes for Texas children.