2 Lawmakers Want to Change Texas Juvenile Justice Department

State Representatives James Talarico and Joe Moody both filed legislation directly related to the state Juvenile Department of Justice.

Austin, Texas. Two state lawmakers want to make changes to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).

On Thursday, State Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock) announced House Bill 4356, which aims to dissolve the TJJD by 2030 and replace it with the Office of Youth Safety and Rehabilitation.

According to a press release from Talarico’s office, the new office will use savings from the closure of “children’s prisons” to build a juvenile rehabilitation system closer to home, including safe rehab centers for those deemed dangerous to themselves or others.

The submitted bill “intends to fundamentally change the state’s approach to juvenile justice by refocusing efforts from incarceration to rehabilitation,” Talarico’s office said in a statement.

The press release specifically mentions last year’s reports that children in the Texas juvenile prison system were repeatedly locked in cells, forced to urinate in water bottles and defecate on the floor. The Texas Tribune reported last September that in some cases, when there was no one to fill vacant officer positions, young men were kept in cells 22 hours a day.

Talarico’s office noted that Texas had already closed eight state-run juvenile prison systems since 2007, and “youth crime rates and recidivism rates have since declined.”

“Children’s prisons are a failed political experiment,” Talarico said. “The trauma of imprisonment makes children more likely to commit crimes, not less. I am proud to submit House Bill 4356 to close all children’s prisons in Texas by 2030 and establish a child rehabilitation system.”

Talarico is not the only Texas legislator hoping for changes to the TJJD. Earlier this week, Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) filed Bill 16, known as Closer to Home.

The bill aims to help redirect children from juvenile correctional facilities to community programs that will keep families together and provide youth with the resources they need.

“Children are different from adults, and imprisonment should be the last resort for any child,” Moody said. “Now more than ever, our juvenile system is overwhelmed. Our goal must always be to protect the children of Texas and help them on their path to success.”

According to the Moody’s office, HB 16 aims to encourage community service referrals and will create a presumption of exemption, connect children to the Texas Department of Family and Welfare when appropriate, and include “strict deadlines for each stage.” juvenile proceedings, which may include detention.”

The bill also provides for the creation of a local reinvestment fund in every Texas county to “mentor, behavioral and mental health services, and help with a wide range of issues facing youth, from housing precariousness to vocational training.”

House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) said he looks forward to seeing his House pass HB 16 during this legislative session.

The Moody’s bill has been referred to the House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety.

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