Published: 06-11-07
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today signed into law Senate Bill 103 an overhaul of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) that will drastically improve youth and correctional officer safety the investigation and prosecution of alleged crimes and accountability at the agency. “This legislation will change the broken culture at the youth commission so that it can fulfill its mission of rehabilitating troubled youth” Perry said. “Because of these reforms safety will improve for youth offenders and correctional officers allegations of criminal conduct will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted and a full-time executive commissioner will provide the leadership and accountability needed at TYC.”
SB 103 which takes effect immediately implements the following reforms:
• Authorizes the governor to appoint an executive commissioner once the agency is out of conservatorship and to appoint an ombudsman;
• Establishes an advisory board to the commission consisting of 9 members with the governor lieutenant governor and speaker each appointing 3 members;
• Requires TYC to maintain a ratio of one correctional officer for every 12 youth;
• Controls size of future population by requiring misdemeanor offenders to be held in local county probation detention centers instead of TYC;
• Requires TYC to evaluate minimum lengths of stay unique to each offense and to discharge youths at age 19;
• Establishes inspector generals who must be peace officers to investigate allegations of criminal conduct in the agency and all contract facilities;
• Requires ombudsman and the TYC chief inspector general to submit reports on investigations to the executive commissioner advisory board governor lieutenant governor speaker Texas Department of Criminal Justice Special Prosecution Unit state auditor and appropriate legislative committees with TYC oversight.
• Requires TYC to implement strict guidelines to separate and group committed youth by age;
• Authorizes the TDCJ Special Prosecution Unit to prosecute crimes that occur in the agency or contract facilities.
For more information on legislative action taken by Gov. Perry please visit www.governor.state.tx.us.
• Requires TYC to maintain a ratio of one correctional officer for every 12 youth;
• Controls size of future population by requiring misdemeanor offenders to be held in local county probation detention centers instead of TYC;
• Requires TYC to evaluate minimum lengths of stay unique to each offense and to discharge youths at age 19;
• Establishes inspector generals who must be peace officers to investigate allegations of criminal conduct in the agency and all contract facilities;
• Requires ombudsman and the TYC chief inspector general to submit reports on investigations to the executive commissioner advisory board governor lieutenant governor speaker Texas Department of Criminal Justice Special Prosecution Unit state auditor and appropriate legislative committees with TYC oversight.
• Requires TYC to implement strict guidelines to separate and group committed youth by age;
• Authorizes the TDCJ Special Prosecution Unit to prosecute crimes that occur in the agency or contract facilities.
For more information on legislative action taken by Gov. Perry please visit www.governor.state.tx.us.
