U.S. Justice Department investigating conditions at 5 Texas juvenile detention facilities
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it is formally conducting a statewide investigation into the Texas juvenile justice system after reports of violations to children’s constitutional rights, including allegations of sexual and physical abuse, staff misconduct and excessive force.
“Over the last few years and as recently as last week, at least 11 facility staff members have been arrested for sexually abusing the children in their care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in an online press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“There are reports of other misconduct by staff members, for example, staff members have reportedly paid children with drugs and cash to assault other children. There are also reports of staff sharing pornographic material with children,” Clarke said. “There are also reports of staff members use of excessive force on children, including kicking, body slamming and choking children to the point of unconsciousness.”
Clarke was joined at the news conference by Texas’ U.S. attorneys from the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern districts. Federal authorities said they are investigating the five secure juvenile correctional facilities across the state that are run by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas talked about the facility in his district, the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex in Brownwood. He said the facility houses up to 140 girls and mentioned the vulnerability of young girls when they enter correctional facilities.
“According to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department research, when girls enter the system, they enter with a lot of trauma, 86% reported to have suffered what’s called adverse childhood events ... 66(%) are placed on suicide watch, and more than 90% are deemed at risk of sexual exploitation,” Meacham said.
“We cannot expect them to thrive after they have been traumatized by sexual abuse and excessive force,” Meacham added. “We have been troubled by the news coming out of the facility in our district, especially reports of sexual misconduct by staff.”
From 2013 to May 2018, the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex in Brownwood fired 34 employees, citing some of the terminations were related to “juvenile correctional officials allowing inmates to engage in sexual behavior while they watched and causing physical harm to the youth by using excessive force, according to records,” KTXS reported.
Texas will cooperate with the federal investigation, Renae Eze, a spokeswoman for Gov. Greg Abbott, said. In July, Abbott ordered a new investigation by the Texas Rangers into the agency following reports of mistreatment by staff.
In 2007, Texas lawmakers shuttered youth lockups across the state after authorities believed at least 13 boys in custody had been sexually abused, the Associated Press reported. The five juvenile lockups that remain are spread out in rural areas, which juvenile advocates say has made finding and retaining qualified officers difficult.
At the news conference, U.S. Attorneys Jennifer B. Lowery of the Southern District, Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Eastern District and Ashley Hoff of the Western District also spoke about the facilities included in their regions, which are in Edinburg, Gainesville, Giddings and Mart.
“[Children are] uniquely vulnerable to harm and abuse during incarceration, hindering not only their physical and mental health, but also their prospects for rehabilitation and for going on to lead productive lives outside the walls of these institutions,” Hoff said.
The Department of Justice said it opened the investigation following an extensive review that included news reports, public information and reports from stakeholders and advocates.
“Today marks day one of our formal investigation. In the road ahead, we will be meeting with state officials, we will be looking at documents. We will look at materials concerning policies and training,” Clarke said. “We will conduct interviews of people who work inside these facilities regarding specific allegations. … We are at the starting point and much work lies ahead.”
Clarke noted that last February, federal authorities were made aware of a report that a staff member at a facility pepper-sprayed, handcuffed and body-slammed a child onto a bed. She also said the department has received reports that “suggested that children are not receiving adequate mental health there, [and] there are reports of at least two possible suicides in recent years.”
“Children committed to juvenile facilities are entitled to rehabilitation rather than punishment,” Ganjei said. “We look forward to collaborating across district lines to conduct a thorough and fair investigation into this matter and to do so with integrity and professionalism.”
The Department of Justice will partner with a team of civil right attorneys to conduct an independent investigation into the facilities. If violations are found, Clarke said, the department will “provide written notice to Texas of the violation or violations along with the supporting facts and the minimal remedial measures.”
It’s unclear how long the investigation will remain ongoing.
Anyone with information should call the department at 1-866-432-0438 or email at tx.juveniles@usdoj.gov.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
