tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208124412061821472024-03-19T02:46:48.608-05:00TJJD News & AnnouncementsThe Texas Juvenile Justice Department: Transforming Young Lives and Creating Safer CommunitiesTJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comBlogger312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-4948748717212148882019-06-04T16:07:00.001-05:002019-06-06T13:08:33.554-05:00Spring graduates celebrate achievements at TJJD's Lone Star High SchoolsDozens of young people are graduating at TJJD’s Lone Star high schools this spring – and two will receive a special recognition for having earned a “distinguished” academic diploma.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Giddings State School spring 2019 graduation in April.</i> </span></td></tr>
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All the TJJD graduates can rejoice in their accomplishments. Many of these youth were able to turn-around what had been a spotty or interrupted school record, fill in the gaps, and secure either their high school diploma or graduate equivalency certificate. Others were doing well in their home high school and simply crossed the finish line at TJJD.
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The two graduates receiving the special honor this graduation season attained a Distinguished Level of Achievement under the Texas Foundation High School program by completing advanced courses that exceeded those required for a high school diploma.
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These two young men, one at the McLennan County State Correctional Facility and the other at the Evins Juvenile Correctional Center showed themselves, their teachers, families and classmates that they not only have smarts, but also grit and determination, said TJJD Superintendent of Education Luther Taliaferro.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hugs at Giddings as Lone Star HS youth greet their parents</span>.</i></td></tr>
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“We’re very proud of them, and of all our spring graduates,” Taliaferro said. “Many of our youth have had to overcome serious obstacles, and we are thrilled to honor their educational achievements.”
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Graduating TJJD youth and their families are invited to full cap and gown ceremonies, regaled with Pomp and Circumstance, and treated to cake and punch receptions afterward. </div>
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Araceli Sanchez, school counselor at Evins’ Lone Star South High School, said that their distinguished student, DT, never doubted he’d go for the 26 credits, required for the distinguished designation. A regular high school diploma requires 22.<br />
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“I told him, ‘you can graduate with 22,’ and as soon as I told him, he said, ‘Nope, I want the 26’,” and pointed out that he had not received less than a B in high school in his hometown,” she said.
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“I just knew I had the ability to do more than the GED,” DT said. “I’ve always done well in school before I came here. It wasn’t really a problem (getting the distinguished designation).”
His strongest subject is math, followed by science, he said. </div>
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He took pre-calculus, chemistry, psychology and government to fulfill the extra credits. The latter two courses DT took online through Navarro College, which has an agreement with TJJD schools. Those courses were dual-credit, meaning they count toward both high school and college requirements.<br />
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<b>I just knew I wanted to push myself</b></h4>
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"When I got here I just knew I wanted to push myself to get my diploma before I left. So every day I came to class I didn’t procrastinate, I started doing quizzes and reading. I knew in the long run it would be beneficial to me,” he said.</div>
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DT expects to acquire more credits through Navarro while at Evins, and later, continue on to a university, likely in Central Texas, near his hometown. He is expecting siblings, aunts and a grandmother to attend his graduation ceremony at Evins on June 7.<br />
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The distinguished graduate at McLennan, HB, said he decided to take the extra credits in topics that interested him, for instance, psychology and sociology.
He pursued the distinguished program, he said, because that was the track he was on before coming to TJJD and “partly to be able to say, ‘I did this’,” he said. </div>
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“And it doesn’t hurt to put it on resumes.”
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“Just because I messed up, even though I committed a crime, I can still receive what other people receive,” said HB who intends to become a computer engineer. He says he’ll attend community college in the fall to “get my basics done” and then hopes to transfer to the University of Houston to complete a master’s in computer science.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A mother examines the diploma.</span></i></td></tr>
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He says his family has inspired his hard work while at McLennan. “I try to do well in school in order to be with my family and to help them. My parents have suffered a lot, they haven’t be able to have a lot of luxuries and I want to change that. I want to be able to give them a relaxed life for their elder years.”
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Principal Craig Taylor recalled HB as a “very determined and patient” bilingual student who got along well with his peers – attributes and skills that will help propel his continued success.
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The distinguished scholars aren’t the only stories being told at TJJD graduations. There are moments of great happiness in just getting together, keynote speakers offering their best advice and hugs all around, as parents, siblings, teachers, counselors and therapists fete the graduates. Some youth talk about how their GED (properly known as a Certificate of High School Equivalency) has put them on track. Others say they are proud of the vocational certificates they’ve earned at TJJD, and hope these will help them get jobs.</div>
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As of June 1, TJJD youth earned 335 industry certifications -- in welding, auto repair, technology, construction, horticulture and culinary arts this school year -- as well as another 184 supplemental certifications in First Aid, Occupational Safety (OSHA) and forklift operation.</div>
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The numbers of 2018-2019 graduates: 35 earning high school diplomas and 122 CHSE’s.</div>
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It’s all cause for celebration and the graduation reception at any one of the TJJD facilities is a technicolor event, fun, bittersweet, bubbling with emotion. A dad huddles close to his blue-gowned son as they enjoy slices of sheet cake. A group of siblings on folding chairs belly laugh over a secret joke. Mentors protectively encircle a few boys who have no family attending. Teachers adjust caps and tassels as the graduates pose with family for commemorative photos.</div>
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A mother clutches a hard-won diploma and smiles at her son.</div>
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“This is as much mine as it is yours,” she says, teasing her son at the recent graduation at Giddings State School. She had been to many meetings over the years to assure that her young man, who has a learning issue, received the educational help he needed, and she feeling well satisfied on this special day.</div>
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He was a star on the football field at his hometown school, she said, but struggled in some classes because of dyslexia. Now she hopes when he returns home this summer, he’ll be able to parlay his sports talent into an offer from a community college and continue forward. </div>
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“My kids listen to me, and they’re pretty successful,” she said. “I’ve got to get this last one out and in the right direction.”
Watching him receive his full high school diploma at Giddings “wasn’t my ideal way,” she chuckled.</div>
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“But you couldn’t ask for more. I’m very happy.”
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TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-83122682939198323642019-04-05T14:17:00.001-05:002019-04-05T15:08:08.012-05:00San Antonio Youth Commemorate Child Abuse Awareness Month<h4>
By Patty Garza<br />Community and Family Relations Coordinator, South Parole District</h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc7rqm9-Kc5zcgo3TvIXnED0PxTSRrtDPUjOCF7PFUw5Llm6_WgBT9U0gsKS5rfE7Dism1XdsB0pHPqVQNyihHzkHzz2_7YAf08brGmRLiSpj1yz737yjQc3tJ3rE8fWyW55BkO4c5VJ7/s1600/Cardboard+kids+2019+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="640" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc7rqm9-Kc5zcgo3TvIXnED0PxTSRrtDPUjOCF7PFUw5Llm6_WgBT9U0gsKS5rfE7Dism1XdsB0pHPqVQNyihHzkHzz2_7YAf08brGmRLiSpj1yz737yjQc3tJ3rE8fWyW55BkO4c5VJ7/s320/Cardboard+kids+2019+-+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>In honor of National Crime Victim’s Week and National Child Abuse Awareness month, Ayres Halfway House and the TJJD San Antonio Parole office participated in an awareness program called Childsafe “Cardboard Kids” Campaign in San Antonio.<br />
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This multilayered project included picking up cardboard “kids” from Childsafe, decorating them, distributing them to the community, and educating youth and those involved on the importance of intervention and prevention of child abuse and neglect.<br />
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In 2018, there were 5,865 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County. While that number is devastating, it’s even more alarming to know that only 1 in 10 sexually abused children ever report it, leaving nine others to keep a terrible secret. Those nine children are represented as these cardboard kids by giving them a voice.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMElbqhmsNoGPk_xUu4RJd_T9BvGHOjEmGZI75WKB80DBV9D_bgliyCgOMlQRmUwca8ob1msf5Xf5QHWl76Yq1tTu_26ErjC9quF1moIx_IzIz5fv6Scl6on6qOKaP39fmGqoMvwgHD7m/s1600/Cardboard+Kids+2019+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="590" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMElbqhmsNoGPk_xUu4RJd_T9BvGHOjEmGZI75WKB80DBV9D_bgliyCgOMlQRmUwca8ob1msf5Xf5QHWl76Yq1tTu_26ErjC9quF1moIx_IzIz5fv6Scl6on6qOKaP39fmGqoMvwgHD7m/s320/Cardboard+Kids+2019+-+3.jpg" width="295" /></a><br />
Our youth had a good time decorating their “kids” and engaging in the conversation about the impact of child abuse and their part in preventing it through this project.
The pictures of our youth and the cardboard kids were posted here and on the San Antonio Volunteer Council page with the #cardboardkidsSA for community wide reveal day April 4, 2019.<br />
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<br />TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-51532337791562051302019-03-25T11:51:00.001-05:002019-03-25T11:52:38.988-05:00Resource Fair Helps Youth and Parents Map the Future<b>By Y. Denise Caldwell </b><b>Community and Family Relations Coordinator </b><b>TJJD Parole - Northern District </b><br />
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“My other son can come too?” an excited mom asked after learning that the YouthBuild program accepted youth of all ages.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Kuykendahl of YouthBuild addresses youth and parents.</td></tr>
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“What do I have to do next?” one youth asked, when she realized that she could get assistance to pursue her dream of becoming a phlebotomist.<br />
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Both were attending the recent 2019 Fort Worth Parole Family Resource Fair, an event dedicated to providing parole youth and their families with information about all of the resources available to them in the community.<br />
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The invited guests included not only YouthBuild, but Job Corps, Redemption Bridge, WorkForce and MHMR of Tarrant County -- all services that can help youth build skills and connections to become a success in the working world.<br />
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In addition, TJJD Ombudsman Allen Wallace and Reentry Specialist Angela Barry shared information about their services.<br />
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“We’re here to help you,” said Tony Roberts, TJJD Parole Supervisor for the Northern District. “We want you to succeed. We want your kids to succeed.”<br />
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Parole Officers Jeffrey Manuel and Natasha Johnson offered community service hours to youth who attended, which helped improve turnout. Youth and their parents enjoyed the event and said they were grateful for the information.
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-74753683231886123822019-03-14T15:17:00.001-05:002019-03-14T17:24:46.707-05:00McFadden Sends Youth Home with Backpack of 'Hope'<br />
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<b>By Y. Denise Caldwell</b></div>
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<b>Community Resource Coordinator, Northern District Parole Office</b></div>
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FLOWER MOUND, Texas - <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvooxBPP9wb2QWzzA7bH8m2UEarrLuIPqqDN0eXcchVlYrWdysHJJn0YQqLwqUfmnI8g4GC1-GYofYnBzIFGFIySBWCA4V09O98Li2P1_ye90MJbuiWj9g0myF4g64nOeVJ7vsPmaZS50Z/s1600/Red+Carpet+volunteer+apprec.+2019+-+Larry+B+w+pack+contents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="930" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvooxBPP9wb2QWzzA7bH8m2UEarrLuIPqqDN0eXcchVlYrWdysHJJn0YQqLwqUfmnI8g4GC1-GYofYnBzIFGFIySBWCA4V09O98Li2P1_ye90MJbuiWj9g0myF4g64nOeVJ7vsPmaZS50Z/s320/Red+Carpet+volunteer+apprec.+2019+-+Larry+B+w+pack+contents.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry Bossaler, McFadden volunteer </td></tr>
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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.<br />
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He is the man who brings them their “Good-Bye”
backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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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),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and lastly close the visit with a heartfelt
prayer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The youth enjoy and appreciate the backpack, the visit and
the prayer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwXICYe98UcrxxW9d52Nuy1bYM-enYP8Tl2x-d3Y_lRKxsocVa8p9r053HJR4SqQmCRbpv-Y6S-VW6EfDIlgIeCzWzGs2Omnl-_xa_BcS5uVeFIJ0C4_UEac8EGlpQed0Ah-IRFCLrjE7/s1600/Red+Carpet+Vol.+Appreciation+--+back+pack+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwXICYe98UcrxxW9d52Nuy1bYM-enYP8Tl2x-d3Y_lRKxsocVa8p9r053HJR4SqQmCRbpv-Y6S-VW6EfDIlgIeCzWzGs2Omnl-_xa_BcS5uVeFIJ0C4_UEac8EGlpQed0Ah-IRFCLrjE7/s320/Red+Carpet+Vol.+Appreciation+--+back+pack+1.jpg" width="190" /></a>“I always bring an extra backpack,” Larry said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In case a youth is leaving early – I don’t
want any kid to leave without one. I really enjoy doing this for them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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“I’m glad they do this,” said one youth, who was echoed by
others. The boys said they really like getting to keep the backpacks, which each
contain a notebook, snacks, socks, toothpaste and other toiletries, and that
this gift provides them with something to do and eat on their route home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gateway Church provides the funding for the backpacks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-29621550243373850262019-02-13T14:03:00.001-06:002019-02-13T15:26:11.973-06:00TJJD Youth on Parole Win Awards for Moving Essays about Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>By
Y. Denise Caldwell</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Community and Family Relations Coordinator</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">FORT WORTH, Texas - TJJD youth on parole in the Northern Region received certificates and replicas of the Martin Luther King National Monument for submitting and completing award-winning essays about Martin Luther King, Jr. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwlgvtUy2zgFZAVk5wNa2jx2BkLKJAYLzhYhyvaee-hGjJqR6d4OqHob8QWY9LluXQdEdVid609DgDyNplGqQ6R0p9ROvS8H9ZjSZBYRAXBVamI7ERhaEyutGqqPukW3EsZtOVwc-8kk7/s1600/Dr.+King+-+I+have+a+dream+speech+-+1963+-+Wikimedia+Commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="791" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwlgvtUy2zgFZAVk5wNa2jx2BkLKJAYLzhYhyvaee-hGjJqR6d4OqHob8QWY9LluXQdEdVid609DgDyNplGqQ6R0p9ROvS8H9ZjSZBYRAXBVamI7ERhaEyutGqqPukW3EsZtOVwc-8kk7/s200/Dr.+King+-+I+have+a+dream+speech+-+1963+-+Wikimedia+Commons.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Dr. King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Washington on the National Mall. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The three youth, T.F., K.L., and M.J. shared their thoughts and feelings in heartfelt essays that expressed admiration for King and how his life inspires them to want to achieve success.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The winning essays included a wealth of information about Dr. King, highlighting his self-sacrifice and fortitude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">M.J. noted in his essay that Martin Luther King Jr. once went to jail in Montgomery, Alabama, for driving 30 mph in a 25 mph zone, and in total was jailed 29 times for </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“defending what he believed in, an equal government, and for everyone, the rights to freedom.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“Dr. Martin Luther King did many things so we African Americans could live a free life, but there were a lot of bad things, bad people, and consequences that came with that,” he wrote. “King had come to Memphis in April 1968 to support the strike of the city’s black garbage workers, and in a speech on the night before his assassination, he told an audience at Mason Temple Church:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I’m not concerned about that now. I’ve seen the Promised Land, I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land, and I’m happy tonight. . . </span></i></span></blockquote>
</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">K.L. reported that King was a great supporter of education and a firm believer in the maxim “Knowledge is Power,” as well as an advocate for peaceful change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“In my life, he taught me to solve problems with communication instead of violence and to stand for what you believe in,” he wrote.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L7VIr8rtxyYQ-NR35R-2njD51lo2QvtvTaPZwQfbrHVmvJJ5RPXtsrvV8DbN7qRAJO-1Y6XJdvgP7PqxN_9g1RVFwRLOeGnar9xQuZCKq7I53Syq9jIq3LoGp0ETu7_5QGY3bTS3mTIs/s1600/Certificate+of+Accomplishment+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1024" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L7VIr8rtxyYQ-NR35R-2njD51lo2QvtvTaPZwQfbrHVmvJJ5RPXtsrvV8DbN7qRAJO-1Y6XJdvgP7PqxN_9g1RVFwRLOeGnar9xQuZCKq7I53Syq9jIq3LoGp0ETu7_5QGY3bTS3mTIs/s200/Certificate+of+Accomplishment+2.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The award certificates show the MLK Jr. Monument. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Youth </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">also </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">received a monument replica.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">In his essay, T.F., told an anecdote about Martin Luther King’s family history that gives insight to his roots. King and his father had both been named Michael at birth, but the senior King was inspired to adopt, for him and his son, the name of religious reformer Martin Luther. He made this decision after a trip in the 1930s to Germany, where the elder King learned about Martin Luther and also witnessed the rise of Nazism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Northern Region parole officers had encouraged all of their youth to submit essays in exchange for community service hours. Eight youth submitted essays and the three featured above were singled out by the judges for special recognition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The certificates explained the history of the monument memorializing Dr. King and included his quote: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Thanks to Cedar Hill Public Library, in Cedar Hill, TX, for using their 3D technology to create the MLK Memorial replicas given to the youth. </span></div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-25698381474917440102019-02-11T09:29:00.001-06:002019-02-13T15:18:35.509-06:00Families Feel the Warmth at McLennan's Winter Wonderland<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>By
Vanessa Bell</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>VISTA
Intern – TJJD</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">MART, Texas – Dozens of family members recently reunited
with their youth at the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility
for the first “Family Day” of 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The event’s theme was “Winter Wonderland,” so chili
was served, games were snowman-themed, and the decorations were blue and white
to give the event a wintery feeling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVaeDcy153pDi1MBM6htlVx3MMRQDz6ufMXmhgo4dqss0fnf6UKohYjcXdKsyaXTi8HwM8DImPRLV_QioXWrjz4hfEHut_vANcV1fNtRxgkkXzxo7NekAfpSvypWp9jhhcOEJhxpnFujP/s1600/Bri%2527Nesha+hugs+her+brother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVaeDcy153pDi1MBM6htlVx3MMRQDz6ufMXmhgo4dqss0fnf6UKohYjcXdKsyaXTi8HwM8DImPRLV_QioXWrjz4hfEHut_vANcV1fNtRxgkkXzxo7NekAfpSvypWp9jhhcOEJhxpnFujP/s400/Bri%2527Nesha+hugs+her+brother.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sister joyfully greets her brother while their grandfather looks on.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite the theme being a cold winter wonderland, the
vibe throughout the gym was warm and welcoming. Family members laughed with
their youth, while enjoying a warm bowl of chili and corn chips. Many got their
pictures taken and played games as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Family Days are held quarterly at all TJJD secure
facilities, creating a safe haven where families can just be silly and have fun
together and enjoy being a family again, which is the main goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For some families at Mart, this was their first time
coming to an event like this, whereas others have been coming to every Family Day
since their youth has been with TJJD. <s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s nice! Since he’s been here, which is almost a
year, I come to every one,” said Letreba, mother to a Mart youth. She recalled
fondly previous family days, where nearly everyone attending was playing the
games, which included ring toss, bowling and an inventive endeavor called</span><span style="background: white; color: #1f497d;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Toilet Paper </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Basketball”
that involved throwing rolls of toilet paper into a toilet bowl replica.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Family Day, she says, is so much better than regular
visitation days, because of the games and the opportunity to get family
photographs taken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One family explained that family days bring all their
relatives together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6ziCDx5JACiymQwPD6g9n-lRkfZNg5YDDIkTuJwyGZPVkJqBN8m3hpVaPLfuK7q3No5l6nkUEME1EFaXtc-1RSAmiC7CaxGCCoypOOhQQ-lgeeXnvH6hY68PA1nwgCA7GNWA17mfo1zr/s1600/Youth+Served+Chili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6ziCDx5JACiymQwPD6g9n-lRkfZNg5YDDIkTuJwyGZPVkJqBN8m3hpVaPLfuK7q3No5l6nkUEME1EFaXtc-1RSAmiC7CaxGCCoypOOhQQ-lgeeXnvH6hY68PA1nwgCA7GNWA17mfo1zr/s320/Youth+Served+Chili.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mart youth help serve the food at Family Days.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We all live in different directions. We can all just
sit here together instead of splitting up our time with him,” says Riley, whose
brother is at Mart.<s><o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The mom, sister, aunt and grandma of youth C.H came
from two cities to visit with him in this easy-going and casual setting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“During visitation, he can’t get up and go to the
vending machines. Here, it’s better because he can go with us to get food. It’s
just a lot better. He doesn’t have to be on the other side of the table. You
can get up and move around here,” said Lindsey, a relative of C.H.. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The family event also is a time when youth can
introduce their family to their caseworker, friends and staff at Mart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“(Case Managers) are always talking on the phone with
the parents, now they can talk face to face,” says Taresa White, a recreation
supervisor who helps out at Family Days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcUqHMeARhz8y7VP_BSKLFHZPNJoZTCB72QFE9C7BCgBbfKlhJHKqQd9v8AsWplfsBRQNjgTEwY9tgIkprLjncQojBeQTXIXrE1OhXIuyqxQZjuKcd_r8-p2kB82ZSnLqtFjWhLMOBcNj/s1600/Mary+talking+family+portraits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcUqHMeARhz8y7VP_BSKLFHZPNJoZTCB72QFE9C7BCgBbfKlhJHKqQd9v8AsWplfsBRQNjgTEwY9tgIkprLjncQojBeQTXIXrE1OhXIuyqxQZjuKcd_r8-p2kB82ZSnLqtFjWhLMOBcNj/s320/Mary+talking+family+portraits.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Garrity snaps photos of several families at these events <br />
Families say this is one of their favorite features of the <br />
gathering, because they get a memento to keep.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I think it’s very good because you get to spend time
with your kid and maybe meet a friend or two, “said the grandfather of youth
B.C.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Nearly 80 family members and 36 youth came to the Mart Family Day. Arranging
and throwing such a big event requires a lot of planning and hard work, said
Mary Garrity, family liaison for Mart, who is the main organizer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dozens of people from the facility help out, including
youth, who help set up and clean up and serve the food. JCOs, caseworkers and
recreation staff also pitch in, bringing youth to the event, assisting family
members in navigating the security gates and helping with the food and games.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br />
</span>The local volunteer council, McLennan County Community Resource Council
for Troubled Texas Youth, provides critical financial support, paying for all
of the expenses for the event. <span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like other family liaisons at TJJD facilities, Garrity
says she tries to incorporate themes around days or events being celebrated,
creating a happy, seasonal atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I used to do one in March, which is March Madness, so
I did a basketball tournament. During the Olympics, I did Olympic events,” she
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But she needs to be savvy about selecting dates, she
said, because some could be misconstrued to have a gang-related meaning. Some
Mart youth from Austin, for example, might see a May 12 event, which spelled
out is 5-12, the Austin area code, as having significance in their former gang
spheres. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is not something Ms. Garrity or anyone at TJJD
wants to encourage, “so we have to work around that,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Food is another item on the event planning list that
involves careful preparation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She takes religious food restrictions and
health-related restrictions into account, to make sure that the food is all
inclusive for the youth on campus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRATvxyxhSX5MFjinkEnTtghDYikNPeEsTy768sJSqCAehzewebphpgow-veO16PBo0rOJUKKXdJy9-KGEbuuHR2WRPCYhc7dFaySD2-9jOtAJ89xeR98fl5lXg7maFHTa2y5R6_vIU5h/s1600/With+more+Time%252C+more+relaxed+conversations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1600" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRATvxyxhSX5MFjinkEnTtghDYikNPeEsTy768sJSqCAehzewebphpgow-veO16PBo0rOJUKKXdJy9-KGEbuuHR2WRPCYhc7dFaySD2-9jOtAJ89xeR98fl5lXg7maFHTa2y5R6_vIU5h/s320/With+more+Time%252C+more+relaxed+conversations.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parents enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere and extra time<br />
to visit with their youth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“If you have Muslims, you have to make sure food is
non-pork, if you have a diabetic on your campus you have to make sure you have
alternatives,” Garrity says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Sometimes your food has to correspond with your
theme,” Garrity says. “If it’s a basketball-themed event, then we’ll have
nachos and hot dogs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Giving the day a theme and offering fun foods makes
the day extra special for youth and their families, creating an atmosphere like
a community center or family reunion, family members said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s important to the parents because they miss out
on so much,” added Garrity. “They don’t get to do birthday parties and
celebrate different things with their kid, so this gives them a time to be with
their kid. Their kid can just be a kid again. Sometimes it’s the first time in
years where their child has actually acted like a child.” </span></div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-42113673128687825322019-01-14T16:14:00.002-06:002019-01-19T12:24:31.279-06:00Virtual Visits Help Youth Stay in Touch<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Everyone – especially young people -- needs encouragement from loved ones.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Which is why TJJD arranges family visits for its youth on weekends and designated weeknights, and hosts special periodic “Family Days” with games and food so families can get together at a festive occasion at TJJD campuses. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Still, busy working parents and guardians cannot always make the drive or fit their schedule around visitation. That’s when technology comes to the rescue. </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ9tPyPC7GytQ_Z4DXmf85Mv7gQ3o9tkG27iUN6JUeI_G5D7A10kxXmExlsns1p5qAsUiC3DcXUp90wNWAwuJrvp3bN0Ma3aFiYPc7ocqf5kP9jgQ6ry89VS_yd3KheJe0FeMqiqrrgMw/s1600/Fam+Visit+Evins+Youth+Talks+with+Mother+w+blr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ9tPyPC7GytQ_Z4DXmf85Mv7gQ3o9tkG27iUN6JUeI_G5D7A10kxXmExlsns1p5qAsUiC3DcXUp90wNWAwuJrvp3bN0Ma3aFiYPc7ocqf5kP9jgQ6ry89VS_yd3KheJe0FeMqiqrrgMw/s320/Fam+Visit+Evins+Youth+Talks+with+Mother+w+blr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A.E. speaks with his mother.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Thanks to the universality of cell phones and easy-to-use apps like FaceTime, Skype and Hangouts, caseworkers and family liaisons are able to offer families “virtual visits” with their son or daughter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Virtual visits started in earnest in fiscal 2016, and took off like wildfire. The number of virtual visits across all TJJD facilities jumped from 178 that year to 2,398 in fiscal 2018 – a more than 12-fold increase.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“The kids love it and they ask for it all the time,” says Janet Sheelar, administrative assistant in family and community relations at Giddings State School. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Sheelar, who has supervised some virtual visits, is convinced they help youth maintain stability during periods of worry or separation anxiety. She recounted one virtual visit in which a young man who’d come to TJJD after being in foster care was able to Skype with a sister, also in foster care, with whom he’d lost touch.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“He missed her greatly,” Sheelar said, and the virtual reunion helped both of them emotionally.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Watching A.E., age 16, embrace the iPad during a recent animated chat with his mother, it’s easy to see how virtual visits can bring a youth peace of mind. Though the image bobbed, blurred and even froze for a second or two, it was clearly mom on her phone, walking as she talked and offering glimpses of home.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Rapt, A.E. leaned in so close it’s a wonder his breath didn’t fog the screen. He hadn’t seen his mother for several months because she was uneasy about making an in-person visit to the Evins Regional Juvenile Center.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">That’s a concern familiar to staff at the TJJD secure facility in Edinburg about 25 miles from the US-Mexico border.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Even when parents have current work visas, if they’ve immigrated from Mexico, they may be reluctant to visit, said Elva Benitez, family liaison for the Evins campus. They are concerned about interacting with any officials, even juvenile justice officers. Some also worry about passing through highway checkpoints set up inside Texas to intercept contraband or illegal immigrants.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcJJKuZUdjtL__CgtGDZrQ9hJ8919xb2bfPwmCuul5tbbsDNZ-wBM_13lU88RMLIddb22HY9MkcR2-_t-UkkS3Ag4j_wpW7C_0428HOVKuNQasO71cgWWkgB5epFWjYhUMbGP5Tz6g66u/s1600/Fam+Visit+-+Elva+Benitez+-+FL+at+Evins+speaks+w+youth+after+family+visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcJJKuZUdjtL__CgtGDZrQ9hJ8919xb2bfPwmCuul5tbbsDNZ-wBM_13lU88RMLIddb22HY9MkcR2-_t-UkkS3Ag4j_wpW7C_0428HOVKuNQasO71cgWWkgB5epFWjYhUMbGP5Tz6g66u/s320/Fam+Visit+-+Elva+Benitez+-+FL+at+Evins+speaks+w+youth+after+family+visit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elva Benitez visits with A.E.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In some cases, a parent or grandparent is on the Mexico side of the border and worried they will be wrongly detained in the US, which could cost them their job back home.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“They just can’t face coming to a facility,” Benitez explained.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">More often, however, the barrier to visiting is economic. Many other families may not have a trustworthy vehicle or feel they can spare the gas money for the trip to Evins from Houston or San Antonio, Benitez said. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Sometimes the South Texas Youth Council steps in to help. A non-profit organized to assist at-risk and incarcerated youth in the Edinburg-McAllen-Harlingen region of the Rio Grande Valley, the council gives gifts to the young men at Evins and underwrites special events, like the traditional holiday feast for staff and youth, which this year featured 900 tamales handmade by a volunteer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">During its December meeting, the council voted to give $60 to a San Antonio family to help them attend their son’s high school graduation at Evins and $32 to another San Antonio family for gas money so they could witness a religious ceremony marking their son’s completion of Catholic classes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">With so many parents of TJJD youth facing economic difficulties, the virtual visits have been a virtual godsend, say Benitez and Sheelar.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Benitez sets a goal of offering a virtual chat monthly to every youth on her list who has not seen his parents or guardians in person for several weeks. After calling the parents, she sets a time that enables the youth to come after school hours. On the day of the visit, she calls again to remind the family of the electronic meeting, because sometimes their availability has changed. This practice has helped avert disappointed youth, she says, because she can alert them about any rescheduling before they arrive.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpfCskEe4jiNsfZHghFtrqbp10CztkDOATFM_ViV-4IXyQDVfRDrOZTdUBfcypDoMpQNJ5sWiGXq79C6X3uYaZJQidWLOmBKOi5zxR18ZJFEJF0-RDuyXezOg7YT3nB7fCoCOhTbEQXs-/s1600/Family+Visit%252C+Giddings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpfCskEe4jiNsfZHghFtrqbp10CztkDOATFM_ViV-4IXyQDVfRDrOZTdUBfcypDoMpQNJ5sWiGXq79C6X3uYaZJQidWLOmBKOi5zxR18ZJFEJF0-RDuyXezOg7YT3nB7fCoCOhTbEQXs-/s320/Family+Visit%252C+Giddings.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A youth visits with relatives at Giddings State School.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When he gets to her office in the social services building, the youth is seated in a corner, facing away from Benitez, but with the screen visible to her. This helps her monitor the visit, but also affords the youth privacy. She works at her desk during the chat, which can last up to a half hour.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The addition of these visits has added to her job duties, and made time management even more crucial.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But it’s worth it, Benitez says, because at the end of these often emotional sessions, the benefit is clear.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“I like to see those smiles,” she said. “That’s very rewarding.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">“I say kudos to whoever thought of doing it this way. It’s easy. And the boys very much look forward to it.” At the end, “the boys say, ‘Thank you very much, Ms. Benitez!’ And also the parents are very humble. They’re very appreciative of the FaceTime session.”</span></div>
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<br />TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-89090383175271506992019-01-04T10:58:00.000-06:002019-01-16T11:03:04.431-06:00Fort Worth Parole Staff & Volunteers Offer Holiday Help to Parole Families<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6beYhbs5qIsvx1lAVm4uoguaKz1TSKj3z7HO8CZOjEatSX8WhahL4cD23fHnzT5ENJn6LJTGoVA56J9Szb1TvQ5DdBOBgfOzyNB-pSkzmgLX59plmJGJMAXv2JkVL5o_oznE0fOiSrNWi/s1600/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="850" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6beYhbs5qIsvx1lAVm4uoguaKz1TSKj3z7HO8CZOjEatSX8WhahL4cD23fHnzT5ENJn6LJTGoVA56J9Szb1TvQ5DdBOBgfOzyNB-pSkzmgLX59plmJGJMAXv2JkVL5o_oznE0fOiSrNWi/s200/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Twelve parole families in the Northern District, Tarrant County, had a very merry holiday thanks to the generosity of the Fort Worth Resource Council for Youth, parole staff, volunteers, and several friends and family members of retired Parole Service Assistant Leaner Singleton.</div>
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These Santa’s helpers, along with donations from ALDI’s and Albertson’s groceries, provided enough food for the families to eat comfortably during the two-week break.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9nGHNKeYe6qzEDX3TnUhzr7VUSoVYIu4gFLnKd8QZfU_hin9iggLhIqx0yuVXy_pZQ4ghOZ1iroFjL8EhherXZmOibRT8TejysuU_ad-V3k93R_ArKhtfShNO3nqb3Kj2u9XAqCAnTGm/s1600/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9nGHNKeYe6qzEDX3TnUhzr7VUSoVYIu4gFLnKd8QZfU_hin9iggLhIqx0yuVXy_pZQ4ghOZ1iroFjL8EhherXZmOibRT8TejysuU_ad-V3k93R_ArKhtfShNO3nqb3Kj2u9XAqCAnTGm/s200/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+6.jpg" width="145" /></a>Each family received three boxes <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">of food, each included a turkey and a ham, two boxes of cold cereal, instant oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, instant stuffing, a six pack of ramen noodles, and two cans each of corn, green beans, peas, mixed vegetables, ravioli, spaghettios and tuna as well as two boxes of cake mix and two cans of icing. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">In addition, there were two boxes of macaroni and cheese, a box of spaghetti, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a can of pork n beans, a can of chili, and a bag each of rice, kidney and pinto beans, one jar of peanut butter and one jar of jelly.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCH8FVZbtgv5kkyGfnPiOm_FC1kvPw2pFkDO2q6g6ptTI5n-jZaSIbrQOZdvljAg3YcMhAZcPY8yb1tRfHjr9ztNfXzhy_xLht05lKn8WqKfP5VK19UqYqCEwE_nTL7VA6xpDLsBa22YAx/s1600/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCH8FVZbtgv5kkyGfnPiOm_FC1kvPw2pFkDO2q6g6ptTI5n-jZaSIbrQOZdvljAg3YcMhAZcPY8yb1tRfHjr9ztNfXzhy_xLht05lKn8WqKfP5VK19UqYqCEwE_nTL7VA6xpDLsBa22YAx/s320/Fort+Worth+Food+Donations+5.jpg" width="198" /></a>The youth each received a stocking with gloves, a book, and candy.</div>
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“We know that most of our youth depend on school lunches,” said Mrs. Singleton, who has been instrumental in the Holiday Basket Drive for years, first as an employee and now as a volunteer. “I want to make sure they have plenty to eat during the break.” She called several of her friends and family members asking if they could help with the food drive and all readily agreed – just asking what do you need and how much. She coordinated staff donations as well.</div>
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Parole Officers, Jeffrey Manuel, Natasha Johnson and Billy Branch delivered food or coordinated pick up from the parole office. The amount of food surprised the youth and their moms.</div>
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“This is a real blessing,” said one mom. “Just a real blessing. Thank you so much.”</div>
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One youth kept saying, “Really, really? All of this for us?”</div>
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This annual event strengthens the bond between parole officers, parole youth and their families as they see the caring and giving side of parole as well as the usual contact visit. This visit is extra special since everybody shares smiles and hugs and Happy Holiday wishes.</div>
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Story by Community Resource Coordinator Y. Denise Caldwell</div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-11911451903560097242018-09-10T06:00:00.000-05:002018-09-13T08:32:52.938-05:00Mutts Work to do at Ron Jackson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Facility’s wide lawns and walkways are nearly deserted on a quiet summer afternoon. Youth in residence are inside taking classes or attending therapy. Several young women rest in dayrooms after an exhausting intramural field game meet that morning. <br />
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A scant breeze rustles the giant oaks, and then -- a burst of activity! A huddle of girls and dogs spills from a low brick dorm in a far corner of the campus. The chattering hive of pony tails and wagging tails emerges as one, then separates into girl-dog pairs, trotting around the yard. The girls command their leashed canines to walk, sit and retrieve toys.<br />
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Here at the PAWS Dorm, where 11 girls and their assigned foster dogs live and train, there’s rarely a slow moment, or many contentious ones. Visitors often remark about the “very warm environment,” says Dorm Supervisor Holli Fenton, who helped co-found the PAWS (Pairing Achievement with Service) program at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) nearly 10 years ago. Frequently, she says, visitors say the residence feels more like a college dorm than one within a high-security corrections facility.<br />
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The environment owes much to the presence of the dogs, and how the animals, carefully selected from the Corinne T. Smith Animal Center in Brownwood, bring out the best in these youth.<br />
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The idea is not complicated – the dogs gain skills, the girls learn responsibility and everyone feels the love. But there are multiple other facets to the program.<br />
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For starters, PAWS acts as an incentive. Girls accepted to work with PAWS dogs must have a record of good behavior and be making progress in classes and therapy. They need the recommendation of campus mental health providers, to assure that they will be good caretakers.<br />
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Once living in the dorm, the girls learn dog handling skills and teamwork. The canines require 24/7 care and often their human handlers have to fill in for each other when a dorm mate has other commitments.<br />
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The larger Brownwood community has emerged as a big supporter of the program, modeling its own team spirit by robustly supporting Ron Jackson’s PAWS program for the past nine years. Community members have given thousands in in-kind donations, such as free routine vet care (Dr. Joe Speck) dog food (Ag Mart) and equipment (the Ron Jackson Community Advisory Council) and regular cash contributions (from the Brownwood Women’s Club and community sponsor Leona Cleveland, who once organized a Bark-tober fundraiser).<br />
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The other key learning taking place at the PAWS dorm is not a social skill like team cooperation, so much as a social fundamental. The girls become more sensitive and caring while minding these animals that are so completely reliant upon them, Fenton says. They are entirely responsible for their dog, which sleeps in a crate in their room, right down to having to trim their canine companion’s toenails. As the partnership blossoms and the dog makes behavioral strides, “you’ll see the kid’s self-esteem go up and you’ll start seeing their empathy going up,” she says.<br />
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That’s big, because empathy was likely in short supply in certain environments in the girls’ lives before their commitment to TJJD. Although these young women hurt people or broke things, leading to their incarceration, statistics tell us that they too were likely hurt or neglected during their childhood, often leaving them guarded and withdrawn.<br />
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Dogs, virtuosos at drawing out people, are an excellent RX for these hurts, giving freely of their talents: Cuddles without conditions, undying loyalty, sloppy kisses and (yeah, OK, if you insist) obedience. <br />
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“When they open the door, that canine is really happy to see them and it makes them feel really good,” says Fenton. “It’s very therapeutic. If a youth is having a troubled time, they might want to come and just be with their dog.”<br />
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These particular dogs, which were abandoned to the shelter, offer a unique bonding opportunity. <br />
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“They feel like the dog and themselves are in the same shoes,” Fenton says. “They know the dog has been locked up and . . . may have been abused.”<br />
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“Sometimes when I pet her she’ll flinch,” says PR, a PAWS girl who’s worked for months with her foster dog Smokey. “But most of the time she's good. I helped her break out of her shell,” she says, explaining that the Sharpei taught her to be patient.<br />
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Another girl, RH, also cites PAWS for teaching her patience and empathy. After working with at least seven dogs, she still recalls how her first charge needed tender treatment. “One of the first things I learned was empathy with my canine because he had knee problems. I couldn’t force him to walk or do the agility program,” RH says.<br />
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The extra effort spent civilizing, cajoling and fine-tuning a dog’s behavior pays off, though, when the animal is adopted, she says. “We help them to get a second chance!”<br />
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And don’t forget, chimes in a third girl, it works vice-versa too.<br />
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“I learned about my unmet needs for love and belonging-ness, as well as my canine’s needs for love and belonging-ness. Both me and a few of my canines didn’t have anyone to love with. We didn’t have family or we didn’t have good family,” says TB, explaining that PAWS opened her eyes to her own situation and has redirected her plans for the future<br />
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Just like her current dog, an abandoned Husky-mix named Sheba, TB says, “if my family need had been met, then I wouldn’t be here either.”<br />
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It’s not quite magic, this pairing of needs and know-how, but close.<br />
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And now, as the young handlers wind up the day’s lessons, a Labrador mix, a German Shepard mix and a couple wee fur-balls tumble into laps and gnaw on toys.<br />
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Romeo, Eva, Asia and Chloe, having done their daily drills, luxuriate in their foster owers' attention, rolling over for belly rubs and accepting comb outs.<br />
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“Can you take my picture with her?” asks one girl, hoisting a white and tan bit of fluff onto her knee, tilting her head and smiling. Her small friend, Chloe, neatly coiffed and walking easily on the leash, will soon be adopted.<br />
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That’s another life lesson, difficult but a natural part of the program. As the dogs are trained to the AKC’s standards for “Canine Good Citizen” standing, they become more adoptable. Most will find a new home, a big win that is bittersweet.<br />
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“Usually the first one (that leaves) is really, really hard,” Fenton says. “We try to have another dog ready as soon as possible. And we let them know, you did really good, you got this dog adopted. You saved this dog.”<br />
(<em>If you have an interest in adopting a PAWS dog, please visit the PAWSatTJJD Facebook page. There you can see dogs that are available for adoption at the Ron Jackson, Giddings and Gainesville facilities.)</em>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-92220676218250156732018-09-05T08:38:00.000-05:002018-09-06T13:23:47.212-05:00Texas Juvenile Law, 9th Edition Publication Released<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bKoz_I7UnTA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bKoz_I7UnTA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div>
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The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is proud to release
Texas Juvenile Law, 9th Edition. For more than 30 years, this
publication has served as a comprehensive reference guide on statutes,
case decisions and procedures affecting the day-to-day operations of the
juvenile justice system. The Office of General Counsel – Legal
Education and Technical Assistance has continued its tradition of
collaborating with guest contributors to update the book originally
written by the late Dr. Robert O. Dawson, former Bryant Smith Chair in
Law at the University of Texas School of Law. <br />
<br />
Get your
copy now! For the first time, The Texas Juvenile Law, 9th Edition will
be available for purchase from an online vendor. Click <a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Texas-Juvenile-Law,-9th-Edition" target="_blank">here</a>
to order directly from the online Book Shop. USE COUPON CODE TJJD11209
for a 50% Discount. TJJD will no longer distribute or process sales of
printed copies.<br />
<br />
Digital Download. The Texas Juvenile
Justice Department has expanded its courtesy distribution of digital
copies of the book in PDF/Adobe Acrobat format especially for county
juvenile probation departments, prosecutors, courts, juvenile boards,
and other selected entities. Juvenile justice stakeholders click <a href="https://www.tjjd.texas.gov/publications/legal.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> to download a no-cost digital copy. <br />
<br />
We
are certain that you will find Texas Juvenile Law, 9thEdition an even
more valuable tool to enhance juvenile justice services. Should you
have any questions regarding the book, please contact the Legal Help
Desk at 512.490.7121 or <a href="mailto:LegalHelp@tjjd.texas.gov">LegalHelp@tjjd.texas.gov</a>. TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-32307147480118158312018-09-04T06:00:00.000-05:002018-09-04T06:00:02.184-05:00Home Repairs Made Easy at Willoughby <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjtTP_ISScfRBEL5X9diNlu1FUqBVWdnb6xgvCzrBPu2JwT9949_FNg3J0SFKH3V9gC_cwKBaU4FWXvKqesXUlbOKC17UB3nbmFsxGev34Kzv9MhlkyA5K_eLvw7pWEKTAncaQjpv3xE1/s1600/300x225_Blog_180904_House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjtTP_ISScfRBEL5X9diNlu1FUqBVWdnb6xgvCzrBPu2JwT9949_FNg3J0SFKH3V9gC_cwKBaU4FWXvKqesXUlbOKC17UB3nbmFsxGev34Kzv9MhlkyA5K_eLvw7pWEKTAncaQjpv3xE1/s1600/300x225_Blog_180904_House.jpg" /></a></div>
Painting walls, laying tile and planting flowers are more than home repairs, according to Reggie Hill, mentor and volunteer instructor for “Home Repairs Made Easy,” the 2018 State Volunteer Resource Council 2018 grant awarded to Willoughby House. <br /><br />“It needs a better name,” he said about his program, which teaches youth about flooring, painting and landscaping.<br /><br />“They’re learning construction, commercial property repair skills,” Hill said. <br /><br />Youth who complete the 12-week program, taught in 4-week long sessions, can earn three Certificates of Completion for Commercial Repairs 101 (in flooring, painting or landscaping or all three). <br /><br />They’ve learned to install tiles, wood and carpet flooring using measuring tapes. Their math skills have improved as well, as they have to figure how much material to get for each room and take other measurements.<br /><br />The painting classes consist of learning not only how much paint to buy but which paint and paint brush is best for the job. <br /><br />Landscaping focuses on Texas plants and which is best for the weather and the soil. <br /><br />To date, 10 youth have completed at least one of the sessions, including CL, JG, LH, JH, HS, DD, JB, DC, CM, and WF.<br /><br />They are excited about learning new skills and hope to pursue similar professions when they’re released. <br /><br />- Y. Denise Caldwell, Community and Family Relations Coordinator for the Northern RegionTJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-26311069988993332722018-08-29T11:55:00.000-05:002018-08-29T12:00:00.733-05:00Youth at McFadden Learn to be 'Car Smart'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH61RxCB_A_QscYf3LK7l39-3QdxOujxjhfok6QBGKjDWLCboaP-xKgiN6O8Mmz3etGGg0xb6zf3uj4aZvcb6jTz54OVR6S7AJtcHmIarSSQOKF19obrtSdhZyx4_hCfSVxq3iEFq1oFC/s1600/300x225_Blog_180829_Car1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH61RxCB_A_QscYf3LK7l39-3QdxOujxjhfok6QBGKjDWLCboaP-xKgiN6O8Mmz3etGGg0xb6zf3uj4aZvcb6jTz54OVR6S7AJtcHmIarSSQOKF19obrtSdhZyx4_hCfSVxq3iEFq1oFC/s1600/300x225_Blog_180829_Car1.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_-72B6AK8iJTFunUwAk4Uw_LIC1f3y192JQ5dXvQ4IpQoYmbgCPA7MtJZBr7m3t9cIc246yOu_RgQ4CyP6RbtFNxoY_uC8CgfczGHrgWOkRfxgKWknkfK0VBvwaja1GASG76nlxKAh_r/s1600/300x225_Blog_180829_Car2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_-72B6AK8iJTFunUwAk4Uw_LIC1f3y192JQ5dXvQ4IpQoYmbgCPA7MtJZBr7m3t9cIc246yOu_RgQ4CyP6RbtFNxoY_uC8CgfczGHrgWOkRfxgKWknkfK0VBvwaja1GASG76nlxKAh_r/s1600/300x225_Blog_180829_Car2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "helvetica" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont";">Oil changes, flat tires and dead batteries are just a few of the automotive repairs youth at McFadden are learning how to fix as part of “Car Smart,” a 2018 State Volunteer Resource Council Innovation Grant program. <br /><br />The funding came from the SVRC but it took the generosity of Tim Miller, owner of Grapevine Motors and a committed volunteer at the halfway house, and Oswaldo “Ozzie” Patino, a certified auto mechanic, to get the program off the ground. <br /><br />Miller recently delivered a black 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt to the Ranch. “When Mike (Mike Stine President of the McFadden Community Advisory Council) asked if I would donate a car I said yes,” said Miller. “It’s a standard and needs work but it drives. “<br /><br />The Cobalt, in fact, was not the clunker one might have expected. Staff noticed that the car appeared to still be a nice ride.<br /><br />Miller replied that “all his cars are nice.” He added that he started working on cars when he was a teenager and that led to Grapevine Motors. <br /><br />“I didn’t go to college,” he said. “I started working on cars and here I am.” <br /><br />Miller also is a certified mechanic and he’s willing to help teach the program as well.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "helvetica" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont";">Patino will teach up to 40 youth how to change a flat using a floor jack and the safety stand; how to check the fluids – oil, brake, transmission and water; and they’ll learn how to change the headlights, brakes and brake pads and more. <br /><br />“I wanted to do the class because I want to help the boys learn a skill that they could use when they get back home,” said Patino. “They could maybe get automotive jobs, too.”<br /><br />The program runs until April 2019 and aligns with the automotive program being taught at the secure facilities.<br /><br />So far, six young men -- CS, DC, DV, GL, GV and ML -- have received Certificates of Completion and a pair of work gloves for successfully finishing the six week program.<br /><br />- Y. Denise Caldwell, Community and Family Relations Coordinator for the Northern Region</span><br />
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TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-78262098440485054282018-08-28T07:25:00.002-05:002018-08-28T07:25:47.493-05:00SYFC Registration Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIBBIcXuuU3N0iJ_tLzz88CSFHQnoB5COygLkyzDBicAZHrIkvw4qmmpGE043KYxHdQQGfOMPdB2hm-vjV-aAsyeE5LwECwgZzedWuEeC51pckaQDnn-PSfKg4O1wij2efiArSAFD37EE/s1600/300x225_Blog_180821_SYF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIBBIcXuuU3N0iJ_tLzz88CSFHQnoB5COygLkyzDBicAZHrIkvw4qmmpGE043KYxHdQQGfOMPdB2hm-vjV-aAsyeE5LwECwgZzedWuEeC51pckaQDnn-PSfKg4O1wij2efiArSAFD37EE/s1600/300x225_Blog_180821_SYF.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://reg.planetreg.com/ANNUALSYFCONFERENCE18">Registration
has opened</a> for the 14<sup>th</sup> Annual Strengthening Youth &
Families Conference, which will be held beach-side this year at the San Luis
Resort, Spa and Conference Center in Galveston.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Professionals and volunteers who serve youth, as well as family
members, are invited to attend the interagency-sponsored conference, set for
Nov. 5-8. The conference features workshops related to the promotion of
positive youth development and the prevention, intervention and treatment of
high-risk behaviors in youth. Workshops are expected to qualify for continuing
education credits (up to 27 hours) for social workers, mental health providers,
juvenile justice providers, and law enforcement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Shandra Carter, deputy director of State Services for the Texas
Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), will headline the event as the first
keynote speaker, opening the session on Nov. 6. An accomplished mental health
professional with 20 years of experience in the human services field, Carter
will speak on the </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
model, which focuses on seeing challenging behaviors as a symptom of survival
rather than an act of disobedience. A TBRI approach maintains that when
behaviors are viewed as a discharge of trauma, professionals can develop
responses focused on healing. Understanding the influence of the traumatized
youth's brain and nervous system is foundational to developing effective
trauma-informed care.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Carter has dedicated her
career to serving vulnerable populations, especially children who have suffered
from sexual exploitation and abuse, and recently helped Houston-area programs
that serve child sex trafficking victims implement the TBRI model of care. She
is now working to integrate the TBRI model into the rehabilitation and
treatment program at TJJD, serving the state’s most serious youthful offenders.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Before joining TJJD,
Carter served as Project Director for the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development
at Texas Christian University. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Law,
Societies & Justice from the University of Washington. She has a Master’s
in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. She is a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker - Supervisor and a Licensed Childcare Administrator.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Register before Sept. 30
for the annual SYFC conference to get the best rates. Call the hotel directly
to reserve a room. More information at the SYFC <a href="https://reg.planetreg.com/ANNUALSYFCONFERENCE18" id="LPlnk135325" previewremoved="true">website</a>. A limited number of scholarships are available
to assist with registration fees and travel expenses for those who might not
otherwise be able to attend. To apply for a conference scholarship, see this <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018SYFCScholar." id="LPlnk766185" previewremoved="true">link.</a></span>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-35277313651337915302018-08-21T08:06:00.001-05:002018-08-21T08:06:47.775-05:00Nominations Open for Champion Awards for Youth Advocates<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DyQ6TYgskWkzzlAgEZ4AwMxtS0ClKtB6z6zLiC9jGSMcFwaZxSb-YmDJRxzUDy6f9tqdtBzb3bvZH_c2Aim17pc0WFBJbOZs6hMQmI5bXD6FlkcfGOzqDd-wacN5157pxeshtnisqTF_/s1600/300x225_Blog_180821_SYF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DyQ6TYgskWkzzlAgEZ4AwMxtS0ClKtB6z6zLiC9jGSMcFwaZxSb-YmDJRxzUDy6f9tqdtBzb3bvZH_c2Aim17pc0WFBJbOZs6hMQmI5bXD6FlkcfGOzqDd-wacN5157pxeshtnisqTF_/s1600/300x225_Blog_180821_SYF.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Nominations for three very distinguished
awards -- the Annual Champion Awards -- are now being accepted! The awards will
be presented at the 14th Annual Strengthening Youth & Families Conference,
Nov. 5-8, at the Galveston San Luis Resort & Conference Center. Nominations
are due by September 21. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Jimmie Hall
Kester’s Champion for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Award will be
presented to a leader in Texas who champions excellence in juvenile justice or
who has... helped communities move forward in the provision of delinquency
prevention services. Nominate someone you know who has been a leader and
visionary in the field of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, promoted
juvenile justice and delinquency prevention and helped move communities and the
state forward in this field.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Stella
Churchill Mullins Champion for Children’s Mental Health Award will be presented
to a leader in Texas who champions a commitment to excellence in children’s
mental health services or who has helped communities move forward in the
provision of children’s mental health services. Nominate someone you know who
has been a leader and visionary in the field of children’s mental health, promoted
children’s mental health, and helped move communities and the state forward in
this field.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Community
volunteers are often the heart of public service. These selfless individuals
roll up their sleeves and get to work meeting our community’s greatest
challenges. The Champion for Community Volunteerism Award recognizes a
community volunteer who is engaged in the service delivery of one of the host
organizations of the 2018 Strengthening Youth & Families Conference.
Nominate someone you know who has exhibited leadership in the field of
volunteerism, promoted volunteerism to others, shown commitment to excellence
and helped move communities and the state forward in the provision of services
as a result of volunteerism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Please contact
Lillian Nguyen for submissions forms and requirements:<br />
<a href="mailto:Lillian.Nguyen@hhsc.state.tx.us">Lillian.Nguyen@hhsc.state.tx.us</a>
Phone: 512-380-4330. Nguyen also will collect nominations, which can be scanned
and emailed back to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The individual who
nominates the selected awardee will be asked to submit an informal and fun
45-60 second video describing why you are nominating this person. The video
will be shown to attendees at the 2018 Strengthening Youth and Families
Conference.</span></div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-71965834098365873252018-08-20T15:30:00.002-05:002018-08-20T15:30:23.183-05:00Pam Gereau named Employee of the Month for August<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3AngbS4pUvYuwIztzHc7a3agEX872VNft8ZKx49WKLAa2Cn8o63TWSPssOzJ1AOb-cGXTMiio7mFNQJpD6DmCVqAQIoGGUuXNEDsdlxJRVLQWTb4lD9uSFxfZLgSIuU8N7iqYDYKCqHY/s1600/300x225_Blog_180820_EOM_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3AngbS4pUvYuwIztzHc7a3agEX872VNft8ZKx49WKLAa2Cn8o63TWSPssOzJ1AOb-cGXTMiio7mFNQJpD6DmCVqAQIoGGUuXNEDsdlxJRVLQWTb4lD9uSFxfZLgSIuU8N7iqYDYKCqHY/s1600/300x225_Blog_180820_EOM_.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pam Gereau has received the TJJD Employee Excellence Award
for the month of August.<br />
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Gereau began her employment with the agency in April 2002 as an Administrative
Investigator for the County Unit and is currently a Senior Administration
Investigator with the Administrative Investigations Division (AID).<o:p></o:p></div>
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She has demonstrated “extraordinary effort in improving her
skillset and she is arguably our best investigator,” wrote Kevin DuBose,
director of Administrative Investigations<o:p></o:p></div>
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“In honing her craft, Pam has proven herself to be an
exceptional sexual abuse investigator” and demonstrates “an unusual ability to
develop rapport with earn the trust of victims of sexual abuse,” DuBose wrote.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to being an excellent investigator, Pam has
embraced her role as a tenured employee and become a reliable mentor to her
peers, said DuBose, who nominated Gereau, citing her competency, character,
resilience and commitment to the agency.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Perhaps Gereau’s secret to maintaining such unswerving
dedication to work can be found in how she also maximizes her R&R time. She
likes to camp, mountain bike and travel. Over the years, she’s visited places
in Central America and Europe, and for closer-to-home travel, she has converted
three vehicles into camper vans. The latest conversion, for her sister, created
a Chevy Astro Van Extraordinaire, complete with a bed, kitchenette and portable
commode. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gereau, who learned construction skills while in the Air
Force, also constructed a special purple coop for her laying chickens. Ask her
sometime, she’s got pictures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">She will receive a
certificate of appreciation, a reserved parking space for a month and the
option for a $50 gift card or 8 hours of Executive Leave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-44759009140344159922018-08-15T16:10:00.002-05:002018-08-15T16:10:44.335-05:00Schaeffer House Gets a Special Fur Friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEMKw0aQOgpqYT2sUrQDGZBfZFIYT6FqAuqAFvNX99Pi9Zu5FvEsNYv5TEzcrjpvXG8knvDFl5wbdcGhsgm-GcR28TkwA5wnQKZXSP_Vr-Cb7GjxSoVliv8Sawk3isum7-CK0Gs2bjo7n/s1600/300x225_Blog_180815_Schaeffer01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEMKw0aQOgpqYT2sUrQDGZBfZFIYT6FqAuqAFvNX99Pi9Zu5FvEsNYv5TEzcrjpvXG8knvDFl5wbdcGhsgm-GcR28TkwA5wnQKZXSP_Vr-Cb7GjxSoVliv8Sawk3isum7-CK0Gs2bjo7n/s1600/300x225_Blog_180815_Schaeffer01.jpg" /></a></div>
Young men at Schaeffer House acquired a special mascot this year, whom they’ve grown to adore. He’s cuddly and perky -- and unlike some mascots, his fur suit is no cheap imitation!<br /><br />Cody is Schaeffer's canine charm. Make that charmer. The wrinkly little Pug made his first visit to Schaeffer House last December when he was still wobbly on his feet and not yet 3 months old, says TJJD Parole Officer Lori Calderon.<br /><br /> “I just saw the faces of the kids. These kids, even some who they were having issues with, they just went crazy over a puppy. Their looks. They just became kids again,” Calderon said.<br /><br />That prompted her son, Zackery, Cody’s owner, to propose that Cody serve as a comfort dog at Schaeffer House. Making Cody a goodwill emissary seemed natural to Zackery, 24, who'd grown up watching his mom help people in crisis or transition during her employment at Child Protective Services.<br /><br />“He’s always had a heart to help others,” Calderon said.<br /><br />She asked for and received approval for Cody to be a part-time house dog at Schaeffer House. The pug reported for “work” in February. He visits twice a week and checks in with his own ID.<br /><br /><span id="goog_1614561311"></span><span id="goog_1614561312"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHSBuLHws_JH915dwIL3f-u8TfVXak5SDuuWuTdIL3efEvayFe8re4y7piBAxouQ87TBKbM1qcFYwPKasYJ6PXra5x4FWJ-71KzRHH3p4edx_gfF0RAuUxni8-rjloL1BJ-46PQzdhtJ1/s1600/300x225_Blog_180815_Schaeffer02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHSBuLHws_JH915dwIL3f-u8TfVXak5SDuuWuTdIL3efEvayFe8re4y7piBAxouQ87TBKbM1qcFYwPKasYJ6PXra5x4FWJ-71KzRHH3p4edx_gfF0RAuUxni8-rjloL1BJ-46PQzdhtJ1/s1600/300x225_Blog_180815_Schaeffer02.jpg" /></a>Cody hangs out in the day room and classroom, and the dozen or so youth in residence help with his care. “He’s been great with both staff and the kids. He has so much personality,” said Calderon, who offices in Schaeffer House and can keep tabs on Cody during the day.<br /><br />Most of the young men are excited about the pup’s twice-weekly appearances. One, who’s since moved out of Schaeffer, bonded with Cody so strongly that he looks for him when he comes back on parole checks, she said. There have been youth who acted initially like they were unmoved or even put off by the dog, but she recalls that two of those boys were soon taking Cody out on his leash and cleaning up after him (Cody being, ahem, still in training).<br /><br />“It changed them,” she said. “Cody would go to them unconditionally.”<br /><br />Another problem (but not really) arose when Cody became enamored of door stops. Though a wee 12-pounder, the big-eyed cutie can wrest a doorstop from its door and zip across the room with it before anyone can catch him, Calderon says, chuckling.<br /><br />“I’ve been told by several people, he has a unique character.”<br />
<br />TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-6683588773714490412018-08-13T06:00:00.000-05:002018-08-13T06:00:02.944-05:00Coggin Church Brings Vacation Bible School to Ron Jackson ComplexCoggin Church led Vacation Bible School for 50 youth at the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex during the last week of July. This is the 4th year for them to sponsor this particular event. Eighteen volunteers attended to assist with all the activities. Many were members of Coggin, while some were volunteers from various other churches in the area.<br /><br />Lynn Humeniuk, wife of the former Ron Jackson Superintendent Dan Humeniuk, expressed her excitement. “Not many people volunteer to work with incarcerated youth. This VBS was a tremendous blessing as it was clear the students were open to hear the gospel message. They were engaged, inquisitive and it was inspiring to be able to spend time with them at the Ron Jackson facility!”<br /><br />The students arrived at 8 each morning for a time of worship and fun. Ricky Cavitt, Coggin Church’s youth pastor, introduced the volunteers and kicked off the day’s activities with a few games and a word of encouragement in the chapel. The three groups of youth rotated between a craft session where they decorated a 12-inch cross and made a greeting card to send home to their families or to their case managers. They also participated in Bible study focused on a different topic each day, played games in the gym with their coaching staff, and worshipped with special music and guest speakers.<br /><br />This was the first year that retired public school principal Bryan Allen was the VBS coordinator. He was thrilled with the outcome. "VBS was such a blessing this year. I can't say enough about the effort and cooperation between and among Ron Jackson's staff, Coggin's volunteers, and others who helped. I was so impressed also with the students who participated.”<br /><br />The 50 youth were attentive, respectful and responsive the entire time, Allen said. <br /><br />“Most impressive was how God really showed up and showed off this week. Thirty students accepting Christ! Wow! Praise God!"<br /><br />Bettie Evans, Coggin’s resident “craft lady,” said her experience was completely positive. “It is such a blessing to go into a detention facility and have the kids be so appreciative of what little you do.”<br /><br />“We are always so blessed to have Coggin come in and make Vacation Bible School run so smoothly. They basically have it down to a science,” said Chaplain Rachel Ellington, expressing gratitude for the volunteers who faithfully came each day. “All of them have such a heart for our kids and the kids are always so engaged because they see it. Chaplain Madlock and I are thankful for volunteers who willingly give their time to partner with us in our ministry at Ron Jackson.”<br /><br /><i>-Penny Riggs, Community Relations Coordinator, Ron Jackson State Correctional Complex</i>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-20230248891185503482018-08-01T10:04:00.001-05:002018-08-01T10:04:56.627-05:00Gainesville ‘Celebrity Wait’ Coming Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xeEIn4_S0lLzERtcUvziZy9iANUoGBGUk-5JiVphcVNf7EQ3P76Va9EbLUmeK_mDUjLG3w4GsYXujLSJfn2amhhUSYaiqGVjOtFgugvrTQyhM6RVsPEouQEbciLmBzS25BI0nIOk0FxD/s1600/300x225_Blog_180801_CelebrityWait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xeEIn4_S0lLzERtcUvziZy9iANUoGBGUk-5JiVphcVNf7EQ3P76Va9EbLUmeK_mDUjLG3w4GsYXujLSJfn2amhhUSYaiqGVjOtFgugvrTQyhM6RVsPEouQEbciLmBzS25BI0nIOk0FxD/s1600/300x225_Blog_180801_CelebrityWait.jpg" /></a>The Gainesville State School Student Support Council will host its annual Celebrity Wait fundraiser from 5 pm to 9 pm Monday, August 6 at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Gainesville. The fundraiser will benefit the youth who reside at the facility.<br />
<br />The evening will be filled with local celebrities as well as agency celebrities from Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) coming together to wait tables for a great cause.<br />
<br />The tips from the evening will be donated to the Student Support Council, which is a non-profit entity whose purpose is to provide support and services to the youth that the state may not be able to provide. Programs that are currently supported by the Student Support Council include, but are not limited to sports programming, incentives, Christmas gifts, educational tutoring and recognition, on-line driver education, PAWS, Tornado Ranch, audio/visual training program, family programs, chaplaincy programs, and the Men of Distinction program.<br />
<br />Some of the local celebrities that will be on hand to serve include: Texas State Rep. Drew Springer of Muenster, Gainesville City Manager Barry Sullivan, Executive Director of the Gainesville Economic Development Board Arleene Loyd, Executive Director Marlene Phillips of United Way, Eric Geyer, owner of Eric’s Snacks, Pastor Steve Ledford of Grace Friendship Baptist Church, Bekki Jones with VISTO, Kevin Sebade with Muenster State Bank, Jessica Chambers from Abigail’s Arms, Gainesville State School Superintendent Mike Studamire and Assistant Superintendent Deidre Reece. <br /><br />
From Texas Juvenile Justice Department we expect Kimbla Newsom, Director of Youth Service Contracts, and Tammy Holland, Manager of Volunteer, Family and Chaplaincy Services. Dotty Luera, former Community Relations Coordinator from Gainesville State School will be coming out of retirement for the evening and will be on hand to visit with all of our guests.<br />
<br />For more information about the event or if you’re interested in volunteering at TJJD please contact Dianna Hughes, Community Relations Coordinator at 940-665-0701 ext. 132.TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-91461694873108870482018-07-27T06:00:00.001-05:002018-07-27T06:00:09.455-05:00Employee of the Month for July – Lidia Velazquez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL-qsTQ2fxRZblouGDJSmmczKHNG0a3RThmFZmaTKpOJcYoVwx3CyFxKztHtNbLelJ7584zl0T3YGAsIgXosT8uJ01jwD7EmI91BqMwI3MhdgAoZYXTT27cVWTUOle63uuphY4jFAV_7N/s1600/300x225_Blog_180727_EOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL-qsTQ2fxRZblouGDJSmmczKHNG0a3RThmFZmaTKpOJcYoVwx3CyFxKztHtNbLelJ7584zl0T3YGAsIgXosT8uJ01jwD7EmI91BqMwI3MhdgAoZYXTT27cVWTUOle63uuphY4jFAV_7N/s1600/300x225_Blog_180727_EOM.jpg" /></a></div>
Lidia Velazquez, who works as a parole service assistant in the Fort Worth District Office, is the only electronic monitoring specialist in the state juvenile justice system.<br /><br />This comes with a lot of responsibility, as she handles every single electronic monitor placed on TJJD youth. It is a job she handles with professionalism and a clear understanding of the policy involved, said Billy Branch, the parole officer who nominated Velasquez for the TJJD Employee Excellence Award for the month of July.<br /><br />Velazquez also is bilingual, which makes her invaluable to the Fort Worth office, where she often helps facilitate meetings between parole officers and Spanish-speaking families.<br /><br />But she goes a step beyond simple translating, Branch wrote.<br /><br />“Her demeanor and personality puts those families at ease to the point that they feel comfortable relaying valuable information concerning the state of our youth,” he said.<br /><br />As parole assistant, she helps out in countless ways that are not strictly spelled out in her job description, Branch continued, whether it is riding along on the transport of a female TJJD youth or faxing forms to a parole officer offsite to help expedite his task.<br /><br />“She steps up and never complains,” Branch said, making the Fort Worth office run smoothly.<br /><br />In her spare time -- of which there is little says Velazquez, who explains that she has two children ages 5 and 13 -- she likes to cook, bake cookies and read books. She also “rode” a bull last year at a ranch owned by relatives in Guanajuato, Mexico. “I’m actually scared of animals. But my little cousin you see in the picture was raised around them, so she was petting the bull to keep him calm while I was on it,” Velazquez said.<br /><br />As July’s Employee of the Month, she will receive a certificate of appreciation and the option for a $50 gift card or 8 hours of Executive Leave.TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-12213487921447405392018-07-25T15:59:00.002-05:002018-07-25T15:59:56.071-05:00 “Unbroken” Book Launch at McFadden Ranch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>By Y. Denise Caldwell, CFRC Northern District</i><br /><br />Mentor pairs and members of the Book Club at McFadden Ranch recently had the opportunity to meet with Luke Zamperini, only son of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner and World War II veteran and hero.<br /><br />The occasion was to launch the book study of Louis Zamperini’s life story, “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. “Unbroken” tells about his childhood in California, becoming an Olympic runner and his years as a World War II prisoner of war.<br /><br />It’s also a book of redemption and faith, hope and forgiveness.<br /><br />Luke, his wife Lisa and an associate, Drake Morton, visited McFadden on Saturday, June 30, where they showed a 34 minute documentary (The Great Zamperini) and Luke shared personal stories about growing up with his father. <br /><br />He graciously answered several questions from the youth and mentors and expressed his thanks to TJJD for allowing him to be there and his belief in second chances.<br /><br />“Our main reason for being there is to impact these kids and to spark hope and a desire to do something honorable with their lives. Louis was HUGE on always giving kids a second chance!! We are truly excited for this partnership with you. (y’all!)”, said his wife Lisa. <br /><br />The Zamperini Foundation gave each youth and mentor a copy of the Young Adult version of the book “Unbroken” and they left a DVD of the movie “Unbroken” as well. They also gave several copies of the book to the McFadden Library and Book Club.<br /><br />During mentoring visits, mentors will process the story with their youth, underscoring the messages of hope and forgiveness. Faith based mentors can incorporate the spiritual principles as well. The Book Club will be more in-depth as, Barbara Sutherland, the Lead, will use a study guide, and incorporate spelling and topical discussion into the curriculum. <br /><br />After reading the book, they will watch the movie to further heighten the experience. <br /><br />The movie ends with Louis leaving the prison camp but a new movie to be released this fall, completes the journey – highlighting the challenges he faced after returning home and how he found the faith to forgive and live a better life.<br /><br />The Zamperini’s ate lunch with the youth and mentors, and they signed copies of their book for them too.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">PHOTO: Zamperini speaks to youth at McFadden Ranch Halfway House.</span>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-20620379462254790302018-07-24T06:00:00.002-05:002018-07-24T15:13:05.328-05:00Chris Burton, PAWS program administrator, retires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cris Burton, who’s retiring this month after 22 years with
TYC/TJJD, leaves an important legacy, having served as the administrator of the
PAWS (Pairing Achievement with Service) program and one of its founders.<br />
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This unique canine training and treatment program has helped
more than 200 youth rise to the challenge of helping shelter dogs learn good
behavior, improving their adoptability. </div>
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PAWS began at the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional
Facility in 2010. It was a collaborative effort between Burton, who’d long
envisioned a program modeled on the first prison canine training effort (at a
women’s facility in Washington), and Holli Fenton, an employee at Ron Jackson
with ties to the dog rescue community in Brownwood.<br />
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Burton, who has a master’s in counseling psychology, designed the PAWS regimen,
which he explains helps to break down the psychological walls that TJJD youth
have built in response to their hard lives. Fenton put PAWS into operation at
Brownwood, where girls in residence began working with dogs that had suffered
neglect and abuse.</div>
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It wasn’t hard to see the synergy. The youth develop an
empathy toward the PAWS dogs, who are vulnerable and need loving attention, and
teach the canines better behavior, enabling them to better attract adoptive
families.</div>
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The youth use a set training curriculum that meets the
American Kennel Club’s guidelines, ultimately helping the dogs to pass the AKC “Good
Citizenship” certification. It’s a high bar for some of the dogs, and many of
the youth. </div>
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“I have watched them give up, struggle and get mad and get
frustrated – and it all builds toward this (dog citizenship) test,” Burton said.
When the youth succeeds, quite often the tears flow. For many teens, it can be
a breakthrough moment of achievement, altering how they see themselves, Burton
said. </div>
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Building the PAWS program and helping youth gain
competencies – seeing them learn to be gentle, patient and persistent – has
been just an incredible journey, Burton said. </div>
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“The dogs touch the youth in ways maybe we can’t,” he said,
because they’re authentic, open and have no pretenses or ulterior motives. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The dog opens the
door (to the youth’s inner self), and we don’t have to take a sledgehammer to
knock it down” (in therapy).</div>
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Burton credits dedicated TJJD staff and community volunteers
and donors for the success of PAWS, which now also operates at the Giddings and
Gainesville campuses. More than 250 dogs have graduated from the program since
it began.<br />
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Burton began work at the Texas Youth Commission in 1996 as a treatment
specialist. In 2005, he became the manager of the Professional Development
Academy, working with 14 specialists in the field on the Resocialization
Treatment Program. That program, based on cognitive behavioral theory, was
ultimately reorganized, but still has components in place in treatment programs
at TJJD.</div>
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Burton later worked to implement reforms passed in 2009 that
mandated TYC use an accepted assessment tool known as the Positive Achievement
Change Tool (PACT). Burton oversaw training by vendors, assuring that staff
across the agency was up to speed on PACT.</div>
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After state retirement, Burton plans to continue working
with dogs in a private training business he operates and expects he will start
another job. For fun, he and his wife Suzanne Scharle, formerly also of TJJD,
will continue their scuba diving adventures. </div>
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</style>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-48965294858040418942018-07-12T06:00:00.000-05:002018-07-25T16:04:19.177-05:00June Employee of the Month – Xavier Casares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Xavier Casares, a commander who oversees the South Division of the Office of Inspector General, received the TJJD Employee Excellence Award for the month of June.</div>
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Lt. Casares, who has worked for TJJD since April 2013, was cited for his contagious spirit of cooperation and professionalism and for serving as a mentor to those serving in police communications within the Incident Reporting Center.</div>
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“Commander Xavier Casares has motivated and strengthened our drive in our respective fields to become better TJJD employees,” said a fellow employee. “His number one priority is the safety and the well-being of youth at our facilities as well as TJJD employees and because of that, he molded the IRC to provide better ways of communication and strategy to do so.”<br />
<br />
He “believes in the capabilities of the IRC Specialists” and makes himself available to them. “He never shies away from a challenge and his door is always open whenever we have a question, an issue or simply need advice,” said the person nominating him.<br />
In his spare time, Xavier likes to get outdoors and go fishing. He also collects Texas quarters and says that he will gladly pay .25 for them.</div>
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“We want to publicly thank Xavier for his commitment, dedication, initiative, and excellence to the agency,” said Executive Director Camille Cain. “We encourage all of you to express your appreciation to him, as well.”<br />
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Lt. Casares will receive reserved parking, a certificate of appreciation and the option for a $50 gift card or 8 hours of Executive Leave.</div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-75350185222131476902018-07-10T07:37:00.003-05:002018-07-10T07:37:43.645-05:00May Employee of the Month– Noel Ruiz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Noel Ruiz, an Inventory and Store Specialist working in the Business Operations and Contracts Division, received the TJJD Employee Excellence Award for the month for May.</div>
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Ruiz, who began working for the agency in April 2008, has demonstrated commitment, dedication and initiative in a job that operates behind the scenes and is rarely recognized, unless something goes wrong, according to his supervisor, Director of Business Operations & Contracts Kenneth Ming. Ruiz helps assure that everyone has the supplies they need, singlehandedly receiving all the commodity goods purchased by and shipped to Central Office.</div>
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He also manages TJJD’s – wait for it – $195 million in assets.</div>
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Wrote Ming in recommending Ruiz for recognition: “While I have the title of Agency Property Manager, Noel does all of the work and gets very little credit. He does the annual inventory, identifies missing items, does administrative work in CAPPS, disposes, transfers and retires assets.” And then Ming approves and signs the paperwork.</div>
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“Noel is a giant of a man and might be intimidating to some, but when you get to know him, you learn his heart is bigger than his stature. The agency operates more smoothly because of his efforts,” Ming wrote.</div>
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Ruiz, a native of Trinidad, formerly lived in Brooklyn, New York. He’s a US Air Force veteran and in his free time, he plays table tennis, a lifelong hobby, and keeps tropical fish. He will receive reserved parking, a certificate of appreciation and the option for a $50 gift card or 8 hours of Executive Leave.</div>
TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-28771535657145939012018-07-02T10:15:00.000-05:002018-07-02T11:23:37.924-05:00Leonard Cucolo retires from “The Office of Leonard Cucolo” (i.e. TJJD)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpYC8uqXmOm3Jq0184ucwmsr0O7tsU10E7FiWxX6xl0BZ-2qORVTLweB8HZsnE5Y6R3jc7hvAP7q4Vp7j4pKIXtw8x0rasqH_acKIljFNR-tMy33SwVlZNmmPIQ55T4D3HM2N8oSZVfTz/s1600/300x225_Blog_180702_Leonard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpYC8uqXmOm3Jq0184ucwmsr0O7tsU10E7FiWxX6xl0BZ-2qORVTLweB8HZsnE5Y6R3jc7hvAP7q4Vp7j4pKIXtw8x0rasqH_acKIljFNR-tMy33SwVlZNmmPIQ55T4D3HM2N8oSZVfTz/s1600/300x225_Blog_180702_Leonard01.jpg" /></a></div>
Leonard Cucolo, longtime court liaison for Texas Juvenile Justice Department/Texas Youth Commission, retired last week after 30 years with the agency.<br />
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As court liaison for the past two decades (covering the entire state for the past 17 years), Cucolo traversed Texas countless times to testify in hearings for determinant-sentenced youth.<br />
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Caseworkers and administrators prepared detailed files of a youth’s record while in custody in preparation for the hearings, where juvenile court judges weighed if a youth would be paroled or moved to an adult prison. It was Cucolo’s job to testify on behalf of the agency’s position.<br />
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“I represented the work everybody did and it was an honor to do that,” Cucolo said at his retirement reception at TJJD’s central office in Austin on June 29.<br />
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Earlier, Cucolo explained that his job placed him squarely in the middle of an emotional, high stakes event – the courtroom where a youth’s future was being decided. The news he delivered typically elated one side but dismayed the other. It required having empathy and understanding for both sides, he said.<br />
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Cucolo, in fact, had trained in how to conduct a Victim-Offender Mediation, which he incorporated into his graduate work while at the Giddings State School in the 1990s.<br />
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Teresa Stroud, former state programs director and Cucolo’s supervisor, praised Cucolo at his retirement celebration for his steadfastness and human approach, which seemed an extension of his philosophy of life. As a dedicated family man, Cucolo likely “saved the state thousands of dollars,” she joked, because he preferred to return home at night to his wife Lynn even when a distant trip meant he could have booked a hotel.<br />
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And though Cucolo was easygoing and fun to chat with, he took his job super seriously and was highly respected by the lawyers and judges he got to know over the years, Stroud said.<br />
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Stroud and Tami Coy, Leonard’s longtime colleague in state programs, said they were so often asked if they were calling from or testifying on behalf of “the office of Leonard Cucolo” that it became a standing joke.<br />
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Cucolo, who holds a master’s degree in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, also had worked, for seven years, as a therapist to sex offenders at the Giddings State School. In 1997 he was promoted to program administrator, serving as court liaison and victim services coordinator for Giddings State School. In 1999, he moved to Central Office, to the Department of Sentenced Offender Disposition. As the court liaison for the entire agency, he provided testimony in more than 800 transfer/release hearings for determinate-sentence offenders in juvenile courts throughout the state.<br />
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“I am struggling to find the words that convey how much it was an honor and privilege to know you professionally,” he wrote to colleagues on email. “Over the years you have treated me with such respect and support through some very difficult times personally and professionally. So I will miss you all and the courtroom, where so much was accomplished.”<br />
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Cucolo and his wife plan to spend much of their retirement time at a home in Marble, Colorado near Aspen.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Leonard with TJJD colleagues and former colleagues, (l-r) Kim Buck, Teresa Stroud, Leonard Cucolo, Marie Murdoch and Tami Coy.</span>TJJD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631593696486430321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920812441206182147.post-23105873073246854122018-06-28T07:40:00.001-05:002018-06-28T07:40:45.785-05:00Graduation Honors Hard-Won Successes at TJJD<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV4RYXN-LuS07B0vv8VeDdKYPAtZ_6VXpRDy4ZHksxAYpq46_Xfs2knwWUnDmURs14IoAslHhxl1DOEhYB9_D69-vNx3joZJKWtnl8qbMSfB0Rqx4oGwL2kPr0SnJg38qVIJuyR5_vyhr/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV4RYXN-LuS07B0vv8VeDdKYPAtZ_6VXpRDy4ZHksxAYpq46_Xfs2knwWUnDmURs14IoAslHhxl1DOEhYB9_D69-vNx3joZJKWtnl8qbMSfB0Rqx4oGwL2kPr0SnJg38qVIJuyR5_vyhr/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad01.jpg" /></a></div>
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Life inside a secure juvenile justice facility is vastly
different from the fluid routines in the outside world.</div>
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Young men and women sentenced to time in Texas Juvenile
Justice Department (TJJD) secure facilities follow a strict daily schedule of
mandated treatments, group therapy and recreation as well as voluntary
community service events – all aimed at moving them toward improved mental
health and pro-social behavior.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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But a big slice of the day mirrors the world at large. Like
their peers outside, TJJD’s youthful offenders spend weekdays in school. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For some of these young people, it’s been a while since they
regularly attended classes. By the time they arrive at TJJD, the majority are
behind by at least one grade-level and have difficulty reading. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Various factors disrupted schooling -- learning
disabilities, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, gang involvement -- and of
course, the criminal activity than landed them in the juvenile justice system. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Many TJJD youth lacked the family stability that would have
helped them stick with school. About 64 percent of TJJD youth have a household
member who has been incarcerated, according to 2018 statistics on trauma
factors impacting those in custody at TJJD. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Lone Star High Schools housed at the agency’s five
secure facilities give these young people a chance to catch up; time to press
re-set and refocus on academics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not all of the students will take the opportunity. Not all
will succeed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some will soar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One recent graduate of the high school at the McLennan
County State Juvenile Correctional Facility at Mart was inducted into the honor
society Phi Theta Kappa at Navarro College<cq> in Corsicana this past
fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another youth, recently built on the high school diploma he
earned at the Gainesville State School in 2017 by becoming a phlebotomist and
finding a well-paying job in this needed medical field.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet another parlayed the welding certification he earned at
TJJD – followed by an oil career certification earned while on parole -- into a
job as a warehouse foreman in Houston, where he also studies finance at Houston
Community College.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I thought I was going to be behind when I left (TJJD). But
I’m not, I’m ahead,” said the Navarro honor student, explaining that his time
at McLennan had been a respite from his troubled Houston neighborhood where he
lost a family member in a fatal shooting and then went astray of the law
himself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At McLennan, he’d resumed his studies earnestly, resolving
to start achieving. He left the facility with 22 college credit hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“School has always been a major part of my life. Teachers,
principals, they looked out for me,” he said, referring to those at his home
school and at McLennan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2MPl2nR6LVKyiLSaeFYbCjhMlVFqi4MHEUH2M98btzJFzF4rEDNwkrTlMmUeHIqtAr6j8X6A4Hhm1UrPOtRkvq2JAurqjEcquPxn2A_mTVhbKUFUI6vCGf3KeCH4O0WgL9Cjti-VAESC/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2MPl2nR6LVKyiLSaeFYbCjhMlVFqi4MHEUH2M98btzJFzF4rEDNwkrTlMmUeHIqtAr6j8X6A4Hhm1UrPOtRkvq2JAurqjEcquPxn2A_mTVhbKUFUI6vCGf3KeCH4O0WgL9Cjti-VAESC/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad02.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CELEBRATING<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Success looks a little different for
each individual. Some leave TJJD with college credits, thanks to online
programs. Others find victory in securing that high school diploma or high
school equivalency degree they thought was out of reach.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Twice each year, In the spring and the fall, the six Lone
Star schools at the secure TJJD facilities celebrate these achievements. Other
smaller schools set up at TJJD halfway houses also recognize graduates in
varied ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At the large secure facilities, school staff arrange full
graduation ceremonies, replete with caps and gowns, commencement speakers,
recognized valedictorians and an teary audience of proud parents and staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“A lot of our students, they haven’t had many successes in
their life,” said Luther Taliaferro, superintendent of education for TJJD.
“This is our way of saying ‘Great job!’ And their parents come and watch.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The celebration means a lot to the youth, because often they
are the first, or among the few, in their families to receive a diploma, said
Dennis Smith, longtime principal of the Lone Star High School Southeast at the
Giddings State School. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“The ceremonies are just very special,” he said, recalling
how he was moved to witness his first TJJD graduation 20 years ago. Knowing
it’s important to families, Smith has made sure the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduates are well feted and photographed, (a
task that typically enlists other Giddings students enrolled in the commercial
photography program).<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br />
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</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE TALLY</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysE-w4G5iJRXa7Xc-DQdg6pO5M_-dfPVpueEXXxjodvl2TLuBJyq6tkSlNt8tunHIjWCuufgNYqW7WBy8DI3lPLHq-lR2r7RhfOMGcGsNjFCIT7qUBHd8yElr_yCzT5_-NCXr-2jE-Eay/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysE-w4G5iJRXa7Xc-DQdg6pO5M_-dfPVpueEXXxjodvl2TLuBJyq6tkSlNt8tunHIjWCuufgNYqW7WBy8DI3lPLHq-lR2r7RhfOMGcGsNjFCIT7qUBHd8yElr_yCzT5_-NCXr-2jE-Eay/s1600/300x225_Blog_180628_Grad03.jpg" /></a>In the first half of 2018 (through June 21), 69 TJJD youth
in the secure facilities earned their high school diploma or Certificate of
High School Equivalency (CHSE).**<br />
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In addition, the schools handed out 253 industry certifications for the same
time period. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some youth were awarded multiple certifications, many with
direct application in the job market. These include courses recognized by the
American Welding Society, Texas Nursery & Landscape Association and the
National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). <br />
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Other certifications note work completed in Microsoft Office programs, food
safety, telecommunications, automobile air conditioning repair, forklift
operation and the Adobe suite of programs, including Photoshop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of these accomplishments help build a resume, and for
those who fell too far behind to attain a diploma, a certification can be a
critical stepping stone toward a job. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It builds confidence, too, said the Navarro student, who
also took welding classes while at McLennan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the graduations –
and now he’s enjoyed two, having received his associate’s degree – are forever
memories. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“When I was in, that’s all I could think about, is that I
would never get to walk across the stage (at his school at home). I thought I
would never get that moment.”<br />
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He’s grateful, he says, that he did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**A High School Equivalency Degree, also known as a General
Education Diploma (GED), shows that the holder has a level of knowledge <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">equivalent</i> to that of a high school
graduate. In Texas, the GED diploma awarded is called a Texas Certificate of
High School Equivalency (CHSE).</span></div>
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