TJJD News & Announcements

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.  “It needs a better name,” he said about his program, which teaches youth about flooring, painting and landscaping. “They’re learning construction, commercial property repair skills,” Hill said. 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).   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. The painting classes consist of learning not only how much paint to buy but which paint and paint brush is best for the j...

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. 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. 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. “ The Cobalt, in fact, was not the clunker one might have expected. Staff noticed that the car appeared to still be a nice ride. Miller replied that “all his cars are nice.”  He added that he started working on cars when he was a teenager an...

Registration has opened for the 14 th Annual Strengthening Youth & Families Conference, which will be held beach-side this year at the San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center in Galveston. 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.   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 f...

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. 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. 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 h...

Pam Gereau has received the TJJD Employee Excellence Award for the month of August. 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). She has demonstrated “extraordinary effort in improving her skillset and she is arguably our best investigator,” wrote Kevin DuBose, director of Administrative Investigations “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. 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. Perhaps Gereau’s secret to maintainin...

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! 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.  “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. 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. “He’s always had a heart to help others,” Calderon said. She asked for and received app...

Coggin 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. 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!” 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 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. 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. 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. Some of the loc...

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. 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. 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. But she goes a step beyond simple translating, Branch wrote. “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. As parole assistant, she helps out in countless ways that are not strictly spelle...

By Y. Denise Caldwell,   CFRC Northern District 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. 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. It’s also a book of redemption and faith, hope and forgiveness. 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. 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. “Our main reason for being there is to impa...