TJJD News & Announcements

By Doug Vance, PhD, Advisory Council Chair AUSTIN, Texas – Introduction: Effective June 1, 2016, the TJJD Advisory Council’s Standards Committee recommended significant and important philosophical, as well as practical, revisions to the use of seclusion in the Texas juvenile probation system that were adopted by the Texas Juvenile Justice Board. As such, I thought it might be of keen interest to readers if I provided my editorial of this very momentous event in the history of Texas juvenile justice. Seclusion, the placement of a resident alone in an area from which egress is prevented, has long been a common and effective practice used in both juvenile and adult correctional facilities in order to help maintain essential levels of safety, security, and order. For many years, Texas juvenile detention centers have routinely utilized this practice. Prior to June 1, 2016, disciplinary seclusion served a dual purpose: a teaching tool issued as a disciplinary consequence for major ru...

By Doug Vance, PhD, Advisory Council Chair AUSTIN, Texas – Background: Almost a decade ago, the Texas Legislature instructed the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) to develop Standards of Care (Administrative Rules) that would govern non-secure residential facilities operated by local Juvenile Probation Boards. At that time, there were approximately eleven such programs being operated in Texas by nine different Juvenile Probation Departments. While several of these programs were licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, several others were operating without independent state oversight. As such, TJPC initiated a standards development project. However, due to a variety of circumstances, the project was left pending for several years and never completed. In October 2012, newly appointed TJJD Executive Director, Mike Griffiths, met with Doug Vance and addressed the Standards Committee requesting that the committee’s next project involve the draftin...

By Doug Vance, PhD, Advisory Council Chair AUSTIN, Texas – Many readers may recall when the TJJD Mental Health Grant (Grant N) was first made available during the FY 2014-2015 Biennium. The purpose was to provide funding to juvenile probation departments in order to increase mental health services and to supplement existing mental health services to juveniles. What readers may not be aware of however, is the vitally important role the Advisory Council played in helping establish the need for this funding, which is – “The Rest of The Story.” In 2013, in order to help juvenile probation departments justify a need for mental health funding, the Advisory Council was asked to develop a comprehensive description of children with mental illness in the juvenile justice system. The assignment was given to the Advisory Council’s Mental Health Committee chaired by Doug Vance, and consisting of members Carrie Barden, Randy Turner, Mark Williams, and their TJJD Chief Financial Officer Bill ...