We Welcome Families at TJJD
TJJD welcomes family involvement at every stage of a youth’s journey at our campuses. We believe, and studies confirm, that family and caregiver involvement is a critical component of youth rehabilitation. We encourage parents and caregivers to stay in touch with their loved one from the time a youth is first admitted to TJJD until they’re discharged from parole or TJJD supervision.
Youths who are supported by family members or mentors and significant other individuals in their lives have a much better chance at making the changes necessary to build a new life for themselves.
We hope TJJD youths emerge from their experience with a bright outlook, prospects for completing their education, better interpersonal and emotion regulation skills, and plans for a career or vocation that can sustain them in the community.
Our goal is the same as yours, to help your child succeed in life and not return to us or continue in any way detrimental to themselves or community safety.
If their lives were difficult and off-track before they came, we hope they can leave with experiences, skills and trainings that can help them craft a plan for themselves and lean into it.
You can help by staying in touch with your youth, participating in caregiver trainings, attending family visitations and Youth Service Team (YST) monthly meetings with therapists and caseworkers working with your youth.
Other events at our facilities might also provide a way to interact with your youth and the staff with whom they’re working. These might include facility open houses, high school graduations and Family Days.
Visiting Your Child
Family members are encouraged to write to their child and visit as often as possible. Before you visit you must complete an application and consent to a criminal history check to be placed on the approved visitation list. The Visitor Application is available here:
If you have questions about visitation, or you need financial assistance with transportation, please contact the Family Reentry Enrichment Specialist (FRES) at your facility.
Parent’s Bill of Rights, in English
TJJD considers parents to be a part of the team of correctional officers, educators and therapists working with a youth on their program. Parents have a right to participate and to be treated with respect.
As a parent, you have the right to:
- Know that you and your child will be treated fairly regardless of race, religion, national origin, language, economic status, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or age and that each child will be treated as an individual.
- Expect the agency to provide a safe, secure, and sanitary environment for your child.
- Not be judged, blamed or labeled because of your child’s incarceration.
- Be a vocal and active advocate on behalf of your child.
- Be an active participant when decisions are made about your child.
- Be informed about matters related to your child’s welfare.
- Access your child’s records.
- Participate meaningfully in your child’s treatment, including medical treatment, behavioral health treatment, and education.
- Communicate with your child, including visitation, telephone, and mail.
- Be assured that all TJJD staff are professional, courteous, and respectful.
- Know that TJJD will take immediate corrective action to protect the rights of parents and youth.
- Participate meaningfully in your child’s transition-planning — from intake through release, parole, and eventual discharge.
Parent’s Bill of Rights, en Español
TJJD considera como parte del equipo de oficiales correccionales, educadores y terapeutas a los padres que trabajan con un joven en su programa. Los padres tienen derecho a participar y a ser tratados con respeto.
Como padre, usted tiene el derecho de:
- Saber que usted y su niño será tratado imparcial a pesar de su raza, a pesar de su religión, a pesar del origen nacional, a pesar del idioma, a pesar de estatus económico, a pesar de la incapacidad, a pesar del género, a pesar de la orientación sexual, o a pesar de la edad y que cada niño será tratado como un individuo.
- Esperar que la agencia va proporcionar un ambiente sano, seguro, y sanitario para su niño.
- No ser juzgado, de no ser culpado y de no ser marcado a causa de la encarcelación de su niño.
- Ser un partidario vocal y activo a favor de su niño.
- Ser un participante activo cuando las decisiones son hechas acerca de su niño.
- Ser informado acerca de asuntos relacionados al bienestar de su niño.
- Acceso a los registros de su niño.
- Participación significativa en el tratamiento de su niño, inclusive el tratamiento médico, el tratamiento conductista de la salud, y la educación.
- Comunicar con su niño, inclusive visita, el teléfono, y el correo.
- Ser asegurado que todo personal de TJJD es profesional, cortés, y respetuoso.
- Saber que TJJD tomará la acción correctiva inmediata para proteger los derechos de padres y niños.
- Participación significativa en la transición de su niño – desde la entrada hasta la liberación.
Preparing for your Child’s Return Home
Your child will likely come home after being released from their TJJD facility. Some youths are directly discharged to home, but more often, a youth is placed on parole first. On parole, they can live at home but will have rules to follow, such as reporting to their parole officer. The parole officer will visit your home and can be a contact for parents too.
For families living in certain counties in Texas, the agency may be able to provide special family reunification services that offer parenting groups, family therapy and other services.
Please check with your Family Reentry Enrichment Specialist (FRES) to get connected to family resources as you prepare for your child’s return.
There are many factors to consider, such as where will your child go to continue their education or where will they work.
But families don’t have to wait for a child’s imminent release. There are Institutional Parole Officers (IPOs) assigned to all secure facilities. These “inside” parole officers can help your youth make a plan for when they’re released, and you may find them to be a valuable resource too.
Frequently Asked Questions by Parents/Guardians
How soon can I visit my child?
All new youth coming to TJJD are first assigned to one of two orientation and assessments units at either the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex, in Brownwood, or the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart. Your child may be in the Orientation and Assessment Unit a few weeks before receiving their long term assignment. During that time, parents or guardians may visit their child without going through the visitation approval process. You may visit as soon as the first weekend after they arrive. Other immediate family members must first submit a visitor application to their child’s case manager or the family liaison. The visitor approval process includes a criminal background check. The approval process takes between 7 – 10 days. Contact the facility’s Family Liaison for more information about the visitor application and approval process.
Who is allowed to visit my child?
Immediate family members and other positive individuals in their lives may visit your child. An immediate family member is defined as a parent, including step-parents, legal guardian, brothers and sisters (including step brothers and sisters), their child, spouse, aunt, uncle or grandparents.
Will my child need money while he is in TJJD custody?
Your child not need money while in TJJD custody. The phone company C-Tel gives each youth 80 minutes per month to call family members on their approved calling list. The youth may designate up to 5 family members on their approved calling list. If family members want to deposit extra money for more calling time they may call C-Tel at 1-800-583-9683 for instructions on how to put money into their child’s phone account. Youth may not receive any calls at the facilities. If an emergency arises and you need to talk with your child, you would call the facility superintendent, the case manager, or the family liaison.
Is my child allowed to receive letters from friends and family members?
Yes, and there is no limit to the number of letters your child may receive. TJJD will pay for postage on 3 letters a week for your child to write his friends and family. If he/she wishes to write more often, then money may be deposited into his trust account. When writing to your child the address on the envelope needs his/her name, the TJJD number and the facility address.
Example:
John Doe, 1274567
116 Burleson Road
Mart, Texas 76664
How do I deposit money into my child’s trust account?
Youth may not have cash at the facility. They can have a trust account set up for money that family members send. Money in their trust account may be used to buy extra postage for letters, or if they show good progress in their treatment they may earn the privilege of purchasing shaving products, shampoo of choice, and for girls some make-up items are also available for purchase. If you wish to send money, do not send cash. The money must be in the form of a money order, personal check or cashier’s check. Money orders bought in the United States Post Office are processed quicker than if purchased elsewhere. The money orders or checks need to list the Youth’s facility as the Payee and also indicate “Student Trust” — Example, Giddings-Student Trust. On the memo line include the youth’s name and TJJD number. The envelope used to mail the funds must be addressed to the youth’s Facility.
Example:
Evins Regional Juvenile Center
Attention: Business Office
3801 E. Monte Cristo Rd.
Edinburg, Texas 78541
The youth will receive an official student trust fund receipt as notification money has been received. A youth at the Orientation and Assessment placement in Ron Jackson does not get a trust account set up. If you wish to send money wait until your child is at their long term placement.
Where can I get a visitor application and who do I send it to?
After filling out the visitor application (available here in English or en Español), it should be mailed to the family liaison at your child’s facility. The family liaisons’ names and contact information is also found on the Family Supports Service’s link. Visitor applications may also be obtained by contacting the family liaison and requesting an application. Applications take 7-10 days to get processed and all applicants go through a criminal history background check. Background checks are repeated every 6 months and when a background check indicates criminal history involving a felony, the applicant goes through further consideration which takes longer than the original 7-10 days. Once you are approved for visitation at any of the TJJD facilities, your approval status also transfers if your child is transferred to another facility.
How is my child’s placement decided?
Many things are considered in deciding which facility your child will be assigned to for the long term placement. When your child is at the Orientation and Assessment Unit in Brownwood, he/she receives many evaluations to determine what his /her needs are. Our facilities have a variety of treatment programs as well as individualized educational programming. TJJD’s goal is to get your youth ready to return home and to his/her community with skills that will help him/her be successful and independent. When a youth leaves the orientation and assessment unit, a committee with representation from education, treatment, psychology and case management reviews the youth’s assessment results and interviews the youth before making his/her long term assignment. Placing the youth closest to his/her home is considered but so are the bed space availability and the treatment programs offered at each facility.
Is financial assistance available to help families who cannot afford the transportation expenses to visit their child?
Each facility has a Volunteer Council that helps raise money for family assistance. The funds raised help to provide refreshments at Family Day, to assist families with transportation for visitation with their child, and may also be used for other youth related expenses. Each council has their own set of conditions that they consider when deciding if a family is eligible for assistance. You may contact the family liaison at your child’s facility if you are in need of assistance with travel expenses in order to visit your child.
Who do I call if my child has been injured by staff or his peers?
Your child’s case manager will contact you if a serious injury to your child has taken place. If your child is sent to the facility’s infirmary for his injuries, you may call the main phone number for the facility and ask to be connected to the infirmary for information on your child’s condition. If you want to report the incident so that an investigation may be conducted you may call the Abuse Hotline at 866-477-8354. This hotline is also available to your child so he/she can report any abuse, harassment, or assaults.
Who do I contact if I have a complaint?
If you wish to file a formal complaint, you or your child may contact the Youth Rights Specialist at the facility. The Youth Rights Specialist may take your information and assign your complaint to a Decision Authority for a resolution. If the resolution is not to your satisfaction, you can let the Youth Rights specialist know that you want to appeal the decision. If your complaint does not get resolved using that approach, then you may call the Office of the Independent Ombudsman at (855) 468-7330.
How can my child get transferred to another facility?
An administrative transfer for your child may be considered if there is a compelling reason to have him/her moved closer to home. However, his/her treatment needs have priority when determining placement. The request to have your child transferred closer to home has to be recommended for approval by the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), the Social Services Committee, and the sending and receiving Superintendents. To initiate a transfer request for your child, you would need to contact his/her case manager so he/she can make arrangements for you or someone on your behalf to present your compelling reason to the MDT.
Community Resource Coordination Groups
Community Resource Coordination Groups (CRCGs) are county-based groups of local partners and community members that work with parents, caregivers, youth and adults to identify and coordinate services and supports, including behavioral health, basic needs and caregiver support. They help people whose needs can’t be met by one single agency and who would benefit from interagency coordination.
TJJD joins with seven other state agencies to help ensure that the needs of Texans are met. To learn more, please visit the CRCG website, where you can search for a local CRCG in your area. You can also find more information by viewing the CRCG brochure and the CRCG Partner Flyer available in both English and Spanish.
