TJJD News & Announcements

The Student Support Council for the Gainesville State School recently held their annual "Celebrity Wait" with a stellar roster of waiters. Local celebrities who pitched in to help raise funds included State Representative Drew Springer, City Manager Barry Sullivan, Sheriff Terry Gilbert, Director of Economic Development Arlene Loyd, and Texas Juvenile Justice Administrators Chip and Rebecca Walters. Many other popular Cooke county residents such as Dr. Larry Sears, United Way Executive Director Angie Hare, First Presbyterian Minister John Hare, Abigail’s Arms Staff Maria Najera and Jessica Chambers, Gainesville State School Superintendent Mike Studamire, Assistant Superintendent Deidra Reece, and Chaplain Dennis Banks helped the cause and helped raise $2,700. The entertaining evening was held at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. One guest, Anita Schwartz, who was visiting from Austin exclaimed, "I have never seen so many happy people in one room! Everyone had a...

By Cris Burton (TJJD’s Cris Burton was invited to present the Pairing Achievement With Service program at the American Correctional Association at the organization’s August 2016 meeting in Boston. The following is his report on the presentation.) "The 146th National Congress of the American Correctional Association has accepted your proposal." If you would have told me this when Holli Fenton and I started PAWS in 2010, I would have said you were not playing with a full deck. But, in 2016, this is now a reality. The chance to talk about PAWS on a national stage and to colleagues in the field of corrections was an honor and somewhat overwhelming. When I think about what it took to get here, it is and continues to be an incredible journey. The ACA conference in Boston was certainly a pinnacle experience. One highlight of the conference was the opening Keynote from Governor Charlie Baker and guest speaker journalist David Gergen. Both had insightful comments on the correct...

The Fort Worth Resource Council for Youth (FWRCY) recently accepted a $125 donation in gift cards from employees at BBVA Compass Bank branches in Fort Worth. The FWRCY is the non-profit that supports the youth at Willoughby House and the youth on parole in Tarrant County. Pictured from left to right: Heidi Howard and Maria Lopez of BBVA Compass, Warner Filley and Carol Kenel with the FWRCY and Stephanie Henderson, who is with both BBVA and the FWRCY. Stephanie made the donation possible!

What led you to your career in juvenile justice? I would say God did. As a child I was raised in a very dysfunctional family. My siblings and I were involved at one point the Child Welfare Department, leading to us being placed in a children’s home in Arkansas for a period of time. Eventually my mother was able to get her life together to get us all back, but there was still continued dysfunction. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a social worker to help children. However, I did not go that direction. Instead, I enlisted in the U. S. Army for several years and came home, married, and had a family. It was not until my youngest daughter was in high school, and I was working at Wharton County Junior College that I started going to college on the Hazelwood Act, which was available to people who have served in the military and entered and exited the military with Texas as its home of record. It was with this grant paying for my tuition that I was able to work towards a degree....

On Friday, July 8th, the staff of the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart were honored for their role in helping the facility to achieve Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance. The on-site portion of the PREA Audit was conducted in January 2016 and the facility received the final reports for official PREA compliance in May 2016. Not only was 100 percent compliance achieved but the campus actually exceeded standards in five areas. This was a true accomplishment because no other facility has received five "exceeds" during this entire first round of PREA audits within the agency. PREA Compliance Managers took an active role in ensuring that the staff were adequately rewarded for the dedication and hard work that was put forth towards accomplishing this goal. The PREA Staff Appreciation Carnival was a collaborative effort and sponsored through a partnership with the McLennan Police & Firemen’s Insurance Association, TJJD’s own Unity C...

Following the July 20, 2016 meeting of the Tarrant County Juvenile Board (TCJB), chairperson Judge Mollee Westfall announced in writing to Tarrant County Juvenile Services (TCJS) staff, "The Juvenile Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Bennie Medlin as Tarrant County Juvenile Services Director. Please join us in welcoming Mr. Medlin to his new position. We look forward to his continued leadership and service to Tarrant County as director." Medlin brings to the position over 33 years of experience as a juvenile justice practitioner including positions at both the state and county level as well as in the private sector. At the county level, he worked at Dallas County Juvenile Department in positions ranging from Juvenile Detention Officer to Superintendent of the Detention Center. At the time of his appointment as TCJS Director he had been serving as TCJS’s Deputy Director since January 2015 and served as the department’s Assistant Director of Institutional ...

In August, the Health and Human Service Commission, the Texas System of Care, and the Cameron County Juvenile Justice Department coordinated a Rio Grande Valley Anti-Stigma speaking tour with former Evins Regional Juvenile Center resident and now TCJC (Texas Criminal Justice Coalition) Board member Jason Wang. Jason shared his personal story of growing up in an abusive and poverty-stricken home and turning to a life of crime as his way of coping. He spoke words of encouragement and inspiration to youth and families involved with the juvenile justice system by highlighting his goals and accomplishments in an effort to eliminate the stigma attached to adolescents in the justice system. Jason visited facilities in both Cameron and Hidalgo counties and dedicated an entire day to speak to youth and families at Evins Regional Juvenile Center, Edna Tamayo Halfway House, and the Harlingen District Office. The Harlingen District Office would like to recognize the Harlingen Outreach...

Situated on a quiet corner lot in a Sherman, Texas neighborhood is a turn-of-the-century home recently renovated to its former grandeur. And just as the house has undergone a renewal, those living inside the house are engaged their own transformations. House of Eli, Inc. is a transitional living home for boys ages 17-21. The driving force behind the home is Tawni Hodge, the home’s executive director and visionary who has discovered an outlet for her concern for young men in difficult situations. Hodge has a passion and expertise in working with young men from her years as a foster parent and her experiences as a chaplain working with juvenile services. Her vision of a home where young men could grow spiritually and emotionally, learn life skills and make lifelong family connections was enough to convince local community and business leaders to provide the necessary resources to make House of Eli a reality. Guidance is provided by Hodge, two additional house parents, and two...

The Gainesville State School celebrated its 100 year anniversary on September 30, 2016. The Gainesville campus celebrated the event with a ceremony that included a proclamation delivered by Gainesville Mayor Jim Goldsworthy declaring September 30 to be "Gainesville State School Day." One of the new sights on campus was a train engine constructed and painted by welding instructors and students. Also on display was the newly painted windmill adorned with a tornado. A group of youth known as "Twelve" provided music during the ceremony. Executive Director David Reilly and Director of Programs and Facilities Teresa Stroud were in attendance and participated in the event, helping to bury a time capsule filled with present day photographs and memorabilia. It will be opened in 50 years. Gainesville State School was originally opened as the Texas State Training School for Girls in 1916 with an enrollment of 18 girls. In 1948, the school was renamed Gaine...

On Tuesday October 25, 2016 Texas Juvenile Justice Department Executive Director David Reilly received the prestigious Amador R. Rodriguez Lifetime Achievement Award during the Juvenile Justice Association Of Texas’ (JJAT) Fall Conference in Corpus Christi. The award is given annually to a juvenile justice professional who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the juvenile justice field. Mr. Reilly was nominated by his peers in the juvenile justice field and vetted by a committee of juvenile justice professionals. This prestigious award is recognition of Mr. Reilly’s service to the youth in Texas. JJAT President Stephanie Fowler presented the award to Reilly during the awards luncheon. The Juvenile Justice Association of Texas is proud to include Reilly among the small number of previous recipients. Reilly, who has served as TJJD’s executive director since 2014, previously served as the Chief Probation Officer for the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department in San...

Last month the Gainesville State School celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The school has had a long and vital history during that time, beginning as a school for girls and then transitioning to a juvenile detention facility for the Texas Youth Commission in 1971. I want to acknowledge the hard work of Mike Studamire and Deidra Reece for organizing the event. I enjoyed the celebration and was proud to take part in burying a time capsule that will be opened in 50 years. And, as a bonus, our beloved football team, The Tornadoes, won their homecoming game later that evening. TJJD implemented the automated certification exam for juvenile probation officers in September. After many years in the making, I am happy to see its existence come to fruition and believe it will be an additional level of credibility to our field for certified juvenile probation officers. Our goal is ultimately ensuring the mandatory topics are adequately trained so staff can successfully perform the du...