Texas Juvenile Justice Dept. eyes Ellis County for new facility
The Giddings State School, a Texas Juvenile Justice Department prison in Lee County, on July 20. (The Texas Tribune)
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department on Thursday approved a location in Ellis County to build a new facility.
The site will need approval from the Legislative Budget Board.
The exact location of the new facility and other details were not mentioned during Thursday's meeting of the agency's governing board.
The agency is looking to build two new facilities after they received $200 million to add 200 beds.
Board members said this site and a second site would each have around 104 beds.
Last year, a Sunset Commission report identified the need for new facilities to be located near areas of high population to help in the hiring and staffing of the new facilities.
The commission pointed to the need for having available mental health, counseling and workforce development programs for young people housed.
Officials called the juvenile justice department's staffing a "critical" issue and said the agency would "remain in a cycle of instability, unable to achieve legislative goals."
The commission report states the agency saw a 71% turnover rate in 2021, citing the turnover as a reason for increased lockdowns and lack of access to services.
The board's decision would allow for the agency to change its mind on the location if they find issues during a final walkthrough. The meeting provided no details on a timeline for construction of a new facility.