Positive Cases: Youth

Overview of Positive Youth Cases

Total number of TJJD youth who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic: 327
Number of positive youth cases at secure facilities: 305
Number of positive youth cases at halfway houses: 22
Number of COVID-19 tests administered to TJJD youth: 3,672

Positive Youth Cases by Facility:

Evins Regional Juvenile Center: 45
Gainesville State School: 13
Giddings State School: 108
McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility: 108
Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex: 31
Halfway Houses: 22

Positive Cases: Staff

Overview of Positive Staff Cases

Total number of TJJD staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic: 473
Number of positive staff cases at secure facilities: 428
Number of positive staff cases at halfway houses: 45

Positive Staff Cases by Facility:

Evins Regional Juvenile Center: 92
Gainesville State School: 39
Giddings State School: 98
McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility: 112
Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex: 87
Halfway Houses: 45

Protective Measures

• Screening. Everyone who enters our facilities receives a health screening and has their temperature taken at the gatehouse. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher or who otherwise does not pass the screening is immediately sent home. All facilities also have rapid COVID-19 tests that can be used to determine if an employee or guest is positive for the virus. Additionally, all youth committed to our care receive a health screening by the local probation department prior to movement and again upon arrival at TJJD. All newly admitted youth wear a mask until a complete medical history and assessment can occur.
• Hand washing. TJJD has installed portable handwashing stations outside our gatehouse for staff and throughout the secure facilities for both youth and staff. Staff and youth are reminded to wash their hands frequently during the day. Hey 
• Masks. All staff at TJJD secure facilities and halfway houses are issued and required to wear protective masks. Additionally, any staff member who is visiting a jail or detention facility or must work within the community is also required to wear a mask.
• Small groups. TJJD has implemented policies to ensure that youth within the facilities are kept in the smallest groups possible and that these groups remain intact without social crossover.
• Volunteers and visitors. In-person family visitation at our facilities was reinstated on March 13, 2021. Family members and approved guests must take a self-administered rapid COVID-19 test and pass a health questionnaire at the gatehouse before being allowed to enter the campus. The agency is working toward welcoming volunteers again and will announce that policy as soon as we are able. Over the previous year, we always allowed chaplains and attorneys to enter a campus, but we strongly encouraged and enabled virtual visits for safety.
• Intake.  On April 14, TJJD temporarily halted all new admissions to its facilities to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Admissions have slowly resumed since May. For those counties that have had a formal hold issued for their facilities because of a positive test for COVID-19, local officials are required to meet a certification process and submit formal paperwork to TJJD to request a release from the hold.
• Medical quarantine and COVID-19 testing. Each TJJD facility has set aside space for medical quarantine. Any youth who shows symptoms that could potentially be the result of a COVID-19 infection are moved to quarantine and administered a test. Youth are released from quarantine following a negative test and a medically observed resolution of symptoms based on CDC guidelines. In addition, youth are tested under the following circumstances:

  1. At intake to a TJJD facility
  2. If they had interactions with any staff member who tests positive for COVID-19
  3. If the TJJD medical team determines that a potential COVID-19 infection of a staff member warrants the testing of particular youth

• Cleaning. We have provided guidance and our facilities are cleaning routinely with a focus on high-touch surfaces. Guidance includes safety standards on use of multiple cleaning products.
• Education. Youth are receiving alternative education through assignments with a small number of teachers providing support and tutoring on the dorm and are observing rules that require no more than 10 people to a group, social distancing, and masks. We continue to work on developing virtual IT options.
• Recreation. We understand that engagement and interaction are essential to our youth and that when youths’ daily activities are interrupted, it can cause frustration and anxiety. From both Central Office and our facilities, we have a team charged with providing as many structured activities, physical activities, and opportunities to be outdoors or other recreation spaces as possible.
• Non-essential travel. All non-essential travel is restricted.
• Telework. Most non-direct-care staff are telework eligible and TJJD has facilitated broad use of telework by updating our virtual private network (VPN) and distributing devices to those who previously had no laptop or other device from which to work at home. 
• Parole supervision. Parole visit schedules have been altered based on level of supervision. We are increasing video and phone contacts and continuing in-person contact on a more limited basis and by risk level of youth.
• Community service and work for youth. For halfway houses, we have closed all community service work that occurs outside of the house and are increasing internal opportunities. For parolees, we are offering parents or 18-year-old youth the option of suspending the TJJD parole requirement to do community service or obtaining work during the duration of this situation.

Response & Communications Systems

• County COVID updates. TJJD has sent notifications to the county probation departments related to how they must inform TJJD if any staff or youth in their facilities tests positive for COVID-19. This will better assist TJJD in coordinating system-wide responses. TJJD places a hold for intake on any detention facility, contract care facility, or county jail with cases of COVID-19.
• Ongoing support to field. Probation departments continue to receive guidance related to compliance with standards, training, and information related to COVID-19 response from federal and state agencies.
• COVID Report Management Center. TJJD has established a management center for any reports of COVID or concerns related. The OIG Incident Reporting Center serves as the single point of intake for such reports. The COVID Report Management Center then receives those reports and takes actions to advise the staff member about appropriate actions to take, escalates concerns, and flags for any needed follow up. Each TJJD staff member is required to report to the IRC any potentially COVID-related symptoms they experience, tests delivered, and results received. Additionally, we have staff available to answer any internal questions or concerns about COVID-19.
• Staffing response methods. Should TJJD encounter COVID-19 confirmed youth within a facility, our staffing responses will be deployed based on a four-tier approach ranging from our current Readiness Phase to one or more confined cases, a larger number of cases, or widespread cases. Each phase would trigger an elevated staffing response including deployment of our Quarantine Response Teams, which are specially trained direct-care staff members who will provide direct supervision for youth with confirmed cases of COVID-19.