Texas Juvenile Justice Department

While the vote is provisional, the Legislative Budget Board is likely to approve purchase of the tract of land in Ellis County.

State lawmakers didn’t seem swayed by top officials with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, who said on Monday that reports of rampant abuse within the agency’s facilities aren’t reflective of the department’s current climate.

The governing board of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department is disputing the accuracy of a report by the U.S. Department of Justice that alleged widespread mental, physical and sexual abuse in the state’s youth facilities.

After an extensive investigation of conditions for children in five juvenile detention facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), the US Department of Justice finds that there is reasonable cause to believe that TJJD is violating the constitutional rights of the children in their care.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday said an expansive investigation into the Texas Juvenile Justice Department found widespread instances of systemic physical and mental abuse and violations of children’s civil and constitutional rights.

On a critical recommendation to stabilize Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Sunset punts to legislators. Advocates express relief about not pairing with adult system, but worry legislators didn't go far enough.

The state Sunset Commission reviews remedies and is expected to chart a course for the beleaguered agency while families and former inmates question its value and what has changed from a decade ago.