TJJD News & Announcements

By Y. Denise Caldwell  Community and Family Relations Coordinator  TJJD Parole - Northern District  “My other son can come too?” an excited mom asked after learning that the YouthBuild program accepted youth of all ages. Frank Kuykendahl of YouthBuild addresses youth and parents. “What do I have to do next?” one youth asked, when she realized that she could get assistance to pursue her dream of becoming a phlebotomist. Both were attending the recent 2019 Fort Worth Parole Family Resource Fair, an event dedicated to providing parole youth and their families with information about all of the resources available to them in the community. The invited guests included not only YouthBuild, but Job Corps, Redemption Bridge, WorkForce and MHMR of Tarrant County -- all services that can help youth build skills and connections to become a success in the working world. In addition, TJJD Ombudsman Allen Wallace and Reentry Specialist Angela Barry shared information about...

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. ...

By Y. Denise Caldwell Community and Family Relations Coordinator FORT WORTH, Texas - TJJD youth on parole in the Northern Region received certificates and replicas of the Martin Luther King National Monument for submitting and completing award-winning essays about Martin Luther King, Jr.   Dr. King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington on the National Mall. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) The three youth, T.F., K.L., and M.J. shared their thoughts and feelings in heartfelt essays that expressed admiration for King and how his life inspires them to want to achieve success. The winning essays included a wealth of information about Dr. King, highlighting his self-sacrifice and fortitude. M.J. noted in his essay that Martin Luther King Jr. once went to jail in Montgomery, Alabama, for driving 30 mph in a 25 mph zone, and in total was jailed 29 times for  “defending what he believed in, an equal government, and for everyone, the rights to free...

By Vanessa Bell VISTA Intern – TJJD MART, Texas – Dozens of family members recently reunited with their youth at the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility for the first “Family Day” of 2019. The event’s theme was “Winter Wonderland,” so chili was served, games were snowman-themed, and the decorations were blue and white to give the event a wintery feeling. A sister joyfully greets her brother while their grandfather looks on. Despite the theme being a cold winter wonderland, the vibe throughout the gym was warm and welcoming. Family members laughed with their youth, while enjoying a warm bowl of chili and corn chips. Many got their pictures taken and played games as well. Family Days are held quarterly at all TJJD secure facilities, creating a safe haven where families can just be silly and have fun together and enjoy being a family again, which is the main goal. For some families at Mart, this was their first time coming to an event like this...

Everyone – especially young people -- needs encouragement from loved ones. Which is why TJJD arranges family visits for its youth on weekends and designated weeknights, and hosts special periodic “Family Days” with games and food so families can get together at a festive occasion at TJJD campuses.  Still, busy working parents and guardians cannot always make the drive or fit their schedule around visitation. That’s when technology comes to the rescue.  A.E. speaks with his mother. Thanks to the universality of cell phones and easy-to-use apps like FaceTime, Skype and Hangouts, caseworkers and family liaisons are able to offer families “virtual visits” with their son or daughter. Virtual visits started in earnest in fiscal 2016, and took off like wildfire. The number of virtual visits across all TJJD facilities jumped from 178 that year to 2,398 in fiscal 2018 – a more than 12-fold increase. “The kids love it and they ask for it all the time,” says J...

Twelve parole families in the Northern District, Tarrant County, had a very merry holiday thanks to the generosity of the Fort Worth Resource Council for Youth, parole staff, volunteers, and several friends and family members of retired Parole Service Assistant Leaner Singleton. These Santa’s helpers, along with donations from ALDI’s and Albertson’s groceries, provided enough food for the families to eat comfortably during the two-week break. Each family received three boxes  of food, each included a turkey and a ham, two boxes of cold cereal, instant oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, instant stuffing, a six pack of ramen noodles, and two cans each of corn, green beans, peas, mixed vegetables, ravioli, spaghettios and tuna as well as two boxes of cake mix and two cans of icing.  In addition, there were two boxes of macaroni and cheese, a box of spaghetti, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a can of pork n beans, a can of chili, and a bag each of rice, kidney and pinto be...

Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Facility’s wide lawns and walkways are nearly deserted on a quiet summer afternoon. Youth in residence are inside taking classes or attending therapy. Several young women rest in dayrooms after an exhausting intramural field game meet that morning. A scant breeze rustles the giant oaks, and then -- a burst of activity! A huddle of girls and dogs spills from a low brick dorm in a far corner of the campus. The chattering hive of pony tails and wagging tails emerges as one, then separates into girl-dog pairs, trotting around the yard. The girls command their leashed canines to walk, sit and retrieve toys. Here at the PAWS Dorm, where 11 girls and their assigned foster dogs live and train, there’s rarely a slow moment, or many contentious ones. Visitors often remark about the “very warm environment,” says Dorm Supervisor Holli Fenton, who helped co-found the PAWS (Pairing Achievement with Service) program at the Texas Juvenile Justice Departmen...

  The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is proud to release Texas Juvenile Law, 9th Edition. For more than 30 years, this publication has served as a comprehensive reference guide on statutes, case decisions and procedures affecting the day-to-day operations of the juvenile justice system. The Office of General Counsel – Legal Education and Technical Assistance has continued its tradition of collaborating with guest contributors to update the book originally written by the late Dr. Robert O. Dawson, former Bryant Smith Chair in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. Get your copy now!  For the first time, The Texas Juvenile Law, 9th Edition will be available for purchase from an online vendor. Click here to order directly from the online Book Shop. USE COUPON CODE TJJD11209 for a 50% Discount.  TJJD will no longer distribute or process sales of printed copies. Digital Download. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department has expanded its cou...

Painting walls, laying tile and planting flowers are more than home repairs, according to Reggie Hill, mentor and volunteer instructor for “Home Repairs Made Easy,” the 2018 State Volunteer Resource Council 2018 grant awarded to Willoughby House.  “It needs a better name,” he said about his program, which teaches youth about flooring, painting and landscaping. “They’re learning construction, commercial property repair skills,” Hill said. Youth who complete the 12-week program, taught in 4-week long sessions, can earn three Certificates of Completion for Commercial Repairs 101 (in flooring, painting or landscaping or all three).   They’ve learned to install tiles, wood and carpet flooring using measuring tapes.  Their math skills have improved as well, as they have to figure how much material to get for each room and take other measurements. The painting classes consist of learning not only how much paint to buy but which paint and paint brush is best for the j...

Oil changes, flat tires and dead batteries are just a few of the automotive repairs youth at McFadden are learning how to fix as part of “Car Smart,” a 2018 State Volunteer Resource Council Innovation Grant program. The funding came from the SVRC but it took the generosity of Tim Miller, owner of Grapevine Motors and a committed volunteer at the halfway house,  and Oswaldo “Ozzie” Patino, a certified auto mechanic, to get the program off the ground. Miller recently delivered a black 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt to the Ranch.   “When Mike (Mike Stine President of the McFadden Community Advisory Council) asked if I would donate a car I said yes,” said Miller.   “It’s a standard and needs work but it drives. “ The Cobalt, in fact, was not the clunker one might have expected. Staff noticed that the car appeared to still be a nice ride. Miller replied that “all his cars are nice.”  He added that he started working on cars when he was a teenager an...