We know what our agency needs, but these changes won’t happen without ACTION! Here’s our THREE-STEP plan to solve the turnover/staffing crisis while improving the outcomes for youth in our care:
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Create hundreds of new case manager and JCO positions and go on a hiring spree!
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Reduce the retirement age for positions with high injury rates
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Significantly increase salaries for ALL staff
BACKGROUND:
TJJD plays a crucial role in rehabilitating juveniles who have committed serious offenses. It serves as an important placement option for youths under the age of 19 who have committed felonies, especially for those youths who had previously been committed to county-level supervision but had violated the terms of their probation. TJJD provides counseling with trained professionals, a high school education, college credit courses, vocational skills training, and intensive rehabilitation services all in a secure setting. These services give serious youth offenders the chance to turn their lives around before they are sent to TDCJ adult prisons.
Why are there problems? Becuase our staffing levels haven’t been improved!
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) passed by Congress in 2003 mandated that all states increase staffing levels in their juvenile detention facilities to 1 Juvenile Corrections Officer for every 8 youths in custody by 2017. TJJD staffing levels in its secure facilities have not improved since 2010. In fact, the data shows that staffing levels in TJJD facilities mostly mirrored the youth population levels very closely.
Higher staffing levels are crucial to better outcomes for youth
Incarcerated youths need a safe, stable, and secure environment in order to be successful in their rehabilitation. When TJJD youth do not have enough experienced and dedicated staff around them, they are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior while they are incarcerated and commit more crimes when they are released. A higher staff to youth ratio makes it safer both youth and staff.
Even though, the PREA mandated that Texas and other states improve TJJD staffing levels, the data shows that has not happened. At 30% TJJD currently has the highest turnover rate of any state agency. It also has the highest injury rate. Average pay for JCO’s and Case Managers is barely above local fast food jobs and certainly not high enough to attract and retain qualified staff given the risk of injury they face in working at TJJD.