TJJD Partners with the Juvenile Law Section to Host 29th Annual Juvenile Law Conference

On February 22-24, the Juvenile Law Section of the State Bar of Texas sponsored the 29th Annual Juvenile Law Conference in San Antonio. TJJD’s Juvenile Justice Training Academy coordinated the conference in partnership with the Juvenile Law Section and welcomed approximately 415 juvenile justice professionals from across the state. TJJD Board Member and Chair of the Juvenile Law Section, Riley Shaw, planned a unique advanced juvenile law conference specifically designed to give practitioners the latest and most pertinent information relevant to juvenile justice in Texas.

During the conference, distinguished professionals from across the state presented on various topics that benefited all facets of professionals wanting to enhance the juvenile justice system attending from judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation personnel, educators, law enforcement, state agency personnel and others that may have been in attendance.

While there was an array of topics throughout the three days, several keynote presentations were provided including: The State of Texas v. Cameron Moon: Ethical Issues in Assessing Whether Youth Should Be Certified; Cognitive Bias in Photo Line Ups; The Thin Blue Line: Why Brady Matters; Ethical Issues in Representing Children with Special Needs; and Privacy and Confidentiality of Juvenile Hearings and Dealing with the Media. Collectively, this year’s speakers all demonstrated great passion and enthusiasm in their ability to share their knowledge and expertise. If you weren’t able to attend, but are interested in reviewing of the materials presented, you may search the articles online here.

This year marks the second year the Juvenile Law hosted disciplinary caucuses with facilitated discussion. This conference is always an opportunity to bring practitioners together statewide to provide a forum for open discussion on current issues affecting the juvenile justice system, but these caucuses provide a means to network within an individual’s personal discipline and discuss best practices, current issues, and share trends within the scope of his or her functional area. Another goal is to support a continued dialogue for ways to implement an overall improved system.

TJJD and the Juvenile Law Section would like to thank everyone who attended, and is looking forward to hosting the 30th Annual Juvenile Law Conference, scheduled for February 27 – March 1, 2017 at Horseshoe Bay. For questions or more information, please contact the Juvenile Justice Training Academy at 512.490.7913.

McFadden Sends Youth Home with Backpack of 'Hope'

By Y. Denise Caldwell Community Resource Coordinator, Northern District Parole Office FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Larry Bossaler, McFadden volunteer McFadden Ranch Volunteer Larry Bossaler enjoys his assignment: Making sure that every youth who leaves the McFadden halfway house knows that people are praying for him and wishing him the best in his future. He is the man who brings them their “Good-Bye” backpack. When he delivers the backpacks, he makes sure to do three things – visit with the youth, show the contents of the backpack (because staff put them in the lockers until the youth leaves), and lastly close the visit with a heartfelt prayer. The youth enjoy and appreciate the backpack, the visit and the prayer. Many are a little anxious and scared to leave but knowing that the McFadden volunteers care enough to send them off in this special way, helps them feel a bit less worried. “I always bring an extra backpack,” Larry said. “In case a youth i

McFadden Ranch High School Graduates Honored

DENTON, Texas -- The Kiwanis Club of Denton recognized nine youth from McFadden Ranch who earned their high school diploma or equivalency by inviting them to their April 17 noon meeting and luncheon where they were awarded $50 each for their trust fund. Spearheaded by JCO IV Gregory Winn, a longstanding member of the Kiwanis Club of Denton, the event was truly memorable for the youth who attended. They heard a motivational and moving presentation by Texas Rep. Pat Fallon, who completed the Greatest Endurance Challenge – the World Marathon Challenge – tackling seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. He took the challenge after being inspired by Jonny Wade, a 7-year-old boy who battled pediatric cancer and had only one wish – ‘that no other kid ever gets cancer.’ Wade’s death led to the creation of Pediatric Cancer Foundation for which Fallon raised over $250,000 so far. Fallon, who represents a portion of Denton County, said the takeaway from his experience is that we

Teamwork Leads to Arrest Without Incident

GAINESVILLE, Texas – Late at night on July 21, a young man escaped from the Gainesville State School, and an exceptional team effort ensured that he was found the very next day. Employees from TJJD State Programs, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, local law enforcement, and TJJD Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigators from Gainesville, Brownwood, Mart, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin all answered the call that night. Sgt. Gabriel Medellin was contacted at approximately 2:00 a.m., on July 22. He left San Antonio for Gainesville at approximately 6:00 a.m. to meet with other investigators and begin searching for the youth. At approximately 12:25 p.m., Sgt. Medellin observed a male walking down a highway in Gainesville who matched the description of the youth. Sgt. Medellin made contact, confirmed his identity, and made the arrest without incident. He was assisted by OIG Sergeants Walker Willey (Ron Jackson) and Tom Hamilton (Mart). OIG Chief Forrest Mitchell s

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