SPOTLIGHT: Tom Brooks, Chief, Harris County Juvenile Probation Department

What enticed you to become a Probation Chief?
My aspiration growing up was to be a private investigator, a lawyer, a stockbroker, or a therapist. I have always had the desire to help others. After being a volunteer Big Brother and then an intern at Michigan State University with the Ingham County Juvenile Probation Department, I realized that I wanted to spend my career working with troubled youth.

What drives you to do a good job?
Knowing that we as an agency and we as a profession have the obligation to do the best we can at creating opportunity for youth to be successful while also taking into consideration the protection of the community. The youth and family “needs” change and we have to position ourselves to be flexible enough to meet their changing needs.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen during your career?
I have seen many changes in my 34 years of employment at the Juvenile Probation Department from advances in technology to changes in philosophical approaches to working with juveniles (rehabilitative vs. punitive), to increased severe mental health disorders in juveniles.

What is your proudest moment?
I do not have any one proudest moment, but just my overall pride in the creativity of our staff and the ability to succeed with our probationers. It is always great to have a youth approach you years later to say thanks and they are doing fine. I am happy with the relationships I have made in the legislature that have enabled us to create good laws and fight off bad bills.

What do you do in your spare time?
My favorite thing is to sit in my Lafuma chair and have a cigar and a drink. That’s how I make my best decisions. I also like to hunt and do country boy stuff.

What do you wish people knew about you?
I am a simple country boy that has been on loan to the big city for 35 years. I care about people and I know that their story is as important as mine is.

What advice do you have to young employees just starting out today?
If you don’t have the heart for working with our kids then move on down the road. Kids are smart enough to see through someone that is just here for a paycheck. They need someone who is here for the right reason and really cares.

What do you want your legacy to be?
Leaving a legacy is not important to me. Everyone can decide on their own if I did a good job or not. I put as much pressure on myself as anyone. If I walk away and know that I’ve done my best, that’s all I need. Oh, and whoever takes my place is welcome to blame me for anything that goes wrong. LOL

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 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.

Canyon Lake Evening Reporting Center

When Comal County Juvenile Probation Chief Kris Johnson joined the department in March 2011, he brought with him a long-term vision to open an Evening Reporting Center (ERC) in the county. ERCs, which require youth offenders to report to specified locations during evening hours for programming, skills building and community service, were first used in Chicago, where juvenile justice advocates needed after school programs to keep their higher risk kids from getting involved in the gang scene. They also serve as an alternative to detention pending a youth’s hearings. ERCs have become common detention alternatives in many communities throughout the United States and are based on research and best practices recognized by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Johnson believed implementing an ERC in Comal County would reduce juvenile crime by providing supervision during the hours crime is most likely to occur. Additionally, it could significantly reduce the cost of deten...

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