Office of Inspector General

The OIG employs more than 120 staff and certified police officers who maintain security at gatehouses and inspectors general who manage criminal investigations. The inspectors general have all of the power and duties afforded to peace officers under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.  Their authority extends to parole officers and facilities operating under contract with TJJD. The OIG also includes a group of specialized inspectors who conduct investigations alleged abuse, neglect and exploitation by staff against justice-involved youth at the state and county levels.

At the gatehouses, OIG certified police and security officers monitor all comings and goings. They search staff and visitors upon entry, to deter and detect contraband, and provide searches for all vehicles entering and leaving the secure area.

The OIG employs security intelligence officers who conduct investigations into gang-related activity. OIG also has a small group of investigators for fugitives. They are able to apprehend youth who abscond from halfway houses or who violate conditions of parole.

In addition, the OIG maintains the Incident Reporting Center, the reporting and clearinghouse for the juvenile justice system in Texas. IRC operators receive and record allegations of misconduct and criminal offenses as well as abuse, neglect and exploitation complaints. Anyone can report allegations of misconduct to the Incident Reporting Center by emailing a complaint to TJJD.IRC@tjjd.texas.gov, or by calling a 24-hour-a-day toll free hotline 1-866-477-8354. Historical TJJD incident data can be found on the Open Data Portal of Texas.gov.

Reports

Public Information Arrest Summaries

Contact Information

Special Prosecution Unit

The Special Prosecution Unit (SPU) is a Texas government agency whose lawyers prosecute criminal investigations originating with and conducted by the TJJD Office of Inspector General.

The SPU was created in 1984 to prosecute offenses committed on property owned or operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), addressing crimes and gang violence within prisons. In 2011, the Legislature added a juvenile section to the SPU to handle the prosecution of offenses at or operated by Texas Juvenile Justice Department.