Life inside a secure juvenile justice facility is vastly different from the fluid routines in the outside world. Young men and women sentenced to time in Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) secure facilities follow a strict daily schedule of mandated treatments, group therapy and recreation as well as voluntary community service events – all aimed at moving them toward improved mental health and pro-social behavior. But a big slice of the day mirrors the world at large. Like their peers outside, TJJD’s youthful offenders spend weekdays in school. For some of these young people, it’s been a while since they regularly attended classes. By the time they arrive at TJJD, the majority are behind by at least one grade-level and have difficulty reading. Various factors disrupted schooling -- learning disabilities, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, gang involvement -- and of course, the criminal activity than landed them in the juvenile justice system. Many TJJ...
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department: Transforming Young Lives and Creating Safer Communities