Report shows sex abuse at youth lockups not unusual
March 7, 2007
684 ... complaints were logged statewide ... at the agency's 52 Youth Commission lockups, halfway houses and contract residential facilities. The vast majority were investigated but no disciplinary action was listed.
Written by Mike Ward, Austin American-Statesman
The mother's warning to Texas Youth Commission officials in early 2003 now seems eerily prophetic. "Child molester posing as a correctional officer," she said, according to a confidential internal summary report compiled by the agency. "My son is being molested and now, because he has tried to get help from other staff, he is being harassed." The place: West Texas State School, the juvenile lockup in Pyote where two former administrators have been publicly accused of molesting teenage boys incarcerated there — but not criminally charged. The finding: Allegation not confirmed, even though it was the second complaint filed in just two months about the same correctional officer, according to an October 2006 Texas Youth Commission report. In all: 40 allegations of staff sexual conduct with incarcerated teenagers at the West Texas lockup between January 2000 and October 2006. The report also shows that such allegations were not unusual. In all, 684 such complaints were logged statewide during that time at the agency's 52 Youth Commission lockups, halfway houses and contract residential facilities. The vast majority were investigated but no disciplinary action was listed. One expert in child abuse said such high numbers of complaints with relatively low numbers of confirmed cases could point to much bigger troubles. "If complaints are being investigated internally by the same agency that is in charge, and if the investigators are not specifically trained at investigating cases like this, you'll have fewer confirmed cases," said Richard Gelles, dean of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice. "You have to have an outsider handling the investigations. Otherwise, it's like Richard Nixon and Watergate." The reports detail complaints against male and female staff members, and include accusations that they had sex with youths in closets, shower areas and offices. In only 75 cases were the allegations confirmed, according to the report. In 46 cases, a staffer was fired. In 14 cases, a staffer was allowed to resign, and in 21 cases, a staffer resigned in lieu of being fired. Only 14 cases were referred to law enforcement. Youth Commission spokesman Tim Savoy said Tuesday the details show the agency was trying to track and confirm allegations. "But because this type of activity takes place out of public view, it is often difficult to confirm cases," he said. A sampling of other cases reported at the West Texas lockup seem to bear that out. June 2001: Officials intercepted a sexually loaded letter from a youth to a female correctional officer. "I miss feel yo body against mine," the youth had written. No discipline, according to the report. December 2001: A juvenile correctional officer and a youth were spotted kissing in the laundry room. No action. January 2002: A staff member gave a youth alcohol, and had sex with him. No action. She resigned. July 2002: Kissing and fondling reported between a youth and officer. No action. September 2002: A youth complained that a female correctional officer was repeatedly demanding sex by grabbing him and rubbing him. "There were no witnesses to any of these events," the report states. "He was not hurt by the staff's activities." No action. October 2002: "Youth states he has seen staff masturbate a peer . . . and he has rubbed on the staff's breasts and buttocks." No action. August 2003: A youth reported he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a female officer who "showed him her piercings and performed oral sex on him." No action. Gelles echoed similar comments from other out-of-state experts. "There's so much blood in the water, they'll be litigating cases from this for years and years. "They were the legal custodians of these boys. They are responsible." Sexual abuse by staff in Texas? youth prisons January 2000 to October 2006 Total cases reported in all TYC facilities and contract facilities: 684 Total cases confirmed: Source: Texas Youth Commission, report on alleged mistreatment Listings do not include TYC contract facilities
State facility Location Population Cases reported Confirmed Not confirmed Crockett State School Crockett 264 57 2 55 Hamilton Bryan NA 34 4 30 Gainesville State School Gainesville 316 66 5 61 Victory Field Academy Vernon 336 39 5 34 Jackson State Juv Corr Facility II Brownwood 109 20 1 19 Jackson State Juv Corr Facility I Brownwood 338 51 9 42 Corsicana Residential Tmt Ctr Corsicana 198 59 7 52 Shero State Juv Corr Fac San Saba 356 15 1 14 Giddings State School Giddings 380 45 5 40 Marlin Orientn & Assmt Ctr Marlin 436 26 0 26 McLennan State Juv Corr Fac 1 Mart 656 46 3 43 McLennan State Juv Corr Fac 2 Mart 304 4 0 4 West Texas State School Pyote 250 40 7 33 Evins Regional Juv Center Edinburg 240 13 0 13 Al Price Beaumont 312 15 1 14 Sheffield Boot Camp Sheffield 128 4 0 4 Halfway houses Shaeffer House El Paso 24 NL Cottrell House Dallas 24 NL McFadden Ranch Roanoke 48 NL Beto House McAllen 24 1 0 1 Turman House Austin 24 4 0 4 Tamayo House Harlingen 24 2 0 2 Willoughby House Fort Worth 24 4 0 4
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