A Message From the Director

May has been a big month for TJJD. We completed our first site visit at Giddings for the Youth In Custody Practice Model (YICPM). It was great having the YICPM consulting team of Ned Loughran with the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, Shay Bilchek and Michael Umpierre with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, and Kelly Dedel with One in 37 Research, Inc., on campus and meeting with our implementation team. Giddings staff were gracious hosts and the time was well spent. I am extremely excited about the opportunity the YICPM brings to TJJD. This will give us a proactive chance to thoroughly examine ourselves to create safer campuses, help kids be more successful, become more cohesive and collaborative as an agency and establish a more positive culture. Self-examination is never easy, but the result is worth it. I look forward to the next 18 months.

Our Capstone Project continues to move forward with the Ron Jackson and Gainesville campuses demonstrating success in providing new opportunities for youth who have completed their GED or diploma. We will be rolling this project out to our other three campuses within the next few months. TJJD staff will also be doing a presentation on the program at the American Corrections Association conference in Boston in August.

We are also deep into the process of developing our five-year strategic plan. Our planning and discussions centered around this plan have been productive thus far. Completion of the plan will provide framework to take a number of positive steps forward in the next few years.

On the county side, the regionalization effort is ramping up, and individual diversions should begin next month. We hope to divert 10 to 12 youth from state care each month by funding placements at the county level. This initiative provides great promise for increasing the programs and services at the local level, which will help limit the state population to those who truly cannot be served elsewhere.

I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to all our county partners who have worked tirelessly with us through the development of our plan to regionalize services to youth who will be diverted from state placement. A special thanks to the members of the Regionalization Task Force who doggedly stayed with what at times was a tedious undertaking. This will be such an important step in facilitating further growth and program development “closer to home.”

McFadden Sends Youth Home with Backpack of 'Hope'

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

McFadden Ranch High School Graduates Honored

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

IN MEMORY AND APPRECIATION: Trayce Haynes Alexander

Trayce Haynes Alexander, of Cat Spring, Texas passed away in April. She was a JCO IV at the Giddings State School and began her employment with the Texas Youth Commission on January 5, 2009, as a JCO III. She was promoted to a JCO IV on April 1, 2010. Trayce was a hardworking, loyal and dedicated staff member and friend. Her number one priority was the youth in her dorm and she would drive one hour and forty minutes everyday (even in ill health) to try to make a difference in the lives of the youth she worked with. She was well respected by both staff and youth due to her extraordinary work ethic. The boys could always depend on her to hold them accountable. She is survived by her husband Geoff Alexander and two daughters, Kristyn and Robyn Alexander. Trayce was born on September 3, 1952. She earned a BS from Southwest Texas State University in Law Enforcement.

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