After finishing my Master’s Degree at Abilene Christian and working for a few years as a Campus minister at Texas Tech I tested my entrepreneurial wings and found out I did not really like being my own boss. I asked a friend that I grew up with in San Angelo if he knew of any job openings in the area and the next thing I knew I was interviewing for a JPO position in Tom Green County. My initial interview was in Roy Robb’s front yard while he washed his bird dogs. The second interview was in his office and a little more formal. That was the beginning of my JPO career in March of 1986.
What types of facilities do you operate?
When the Post Adjudication facility grants were available Tom Green County applied and received funding to build a 48 bed drug treatment facility that we operated for 6 years. Revenue barely covered expenses for those years and the county finally got permission from the state to convert it to an adult male drug treatment facility. The Roy K. Robb facility is still located in San Angelo but now serves over 100 male offenders and is operated by the Concho Valley CSCD. We do still operate a 25 bed pre-adjudication facility that contracts with and serves 13 West Texas Counties besides Tom Green County.
What programs do you feel have proven most successful?
We have several programs that I am very proud of. One that Roy began in the early 90’s that put a JPO in each middle school as a prevention officer. We still operate this program and have continued to have around an eighty five percent success rate diverting kids from the system through the program. I am also very proud of our Youth Advocate Intensive mentoring Program and a program we set up with our local Child Advocacy Center to provide intensive parent mentoring, the parent project and family preservation to a large number of the families we serve.
What do you see as the biggest challenges for juvenile justice in Texas?
I think most would agree that the challenge of dealing with more and more kids with intensive mental health needs is a major concern and is a very complicated problem that is difficult to find a solution to. I also believe that we as a state are not spending our money effectively on prevention services and many families with problems receive no services until their child enters the juvenile justice system.
Are there any changes that you are considering in your county?
With the regional concept being pursued by the state and the changes coming as a result of SB 1630 and determination by some to add 17 year olds to our system I am looking at options to add more pre-adjudication beds to our current detention facility.
What do you want others to know about your department?
I have been very blessed in my career to work for a department with a supportive Juvenile Board, dedicated staff and community support. Those things have been the major contributing factors to a wonderful career and a good department that has helped a lot of kids and families.
When you are not working, how do you spend your time?
I do not have many hobbies but I do have a couple of close friends who own recreational property and I like to go out with them and drive the tractor, grub mesquite and cactus and shoot a few rounds occasionally.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the people I get to work with every day, the good friends that I have made across this great state in the field of probation, and having a good group of judges who support our efforts to change lives.
What advice would you give to a young new juvenile justice professional?
I tell each of our new employees that this profession is not for everyone and if you do not have a strong desire to help others then you will probably burn out fairly quickly. There are very few professions where you get paid to spend most of your time trying to make the lives of other people better. I love that about what we do!