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Despite Reforms, Juvenile Offenders in Texas Remain Endangered

By Matt Clarke / Prison Legal News

Two studies by the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin found that juveniles held in Texas jails while awaiting trial as adults are often isolated with no access to education programs, and that violence remains prevalent in state juvenile facilities in spite of recent reforms.

Texas’ juvenile system, which has been renamed the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), was rocked by months of violence during 2012 in the agency’s six secure facilities – especially the Giddings State School and Corsicana Residential Treatment Center. The spike in violence echoed widespread reports of abuse and misconduct in 2007 that resulted in substantial changes in the state’s juvenile justice system.

For the first study by the LBJ School of Public Affairs (LBJ), 41 jails were asked to complete a survey related to incarcerated juveniles, their access to programs and whether they were separated from adult prisoners. The results indicated there were few prisoners under the age of 17 held in Texas jails – only 34 during the survey months of October and November 2011. The survey also showed that in 30 of the jails – roughly three-fourths – adults and juveniles were incarcerated separately. However, the report noted that juveniles might come into contact with adult prisoners during showers, recreation or meals.

“National research indicates that juveniles in adult facilities are five times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse and rape than youths who are kept in the juvenile system,” according to the report.

On May 7, 2012, two days before the LBJ report was released, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a ruling requiring jails to separate adult and juvenile prisoners.

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Six Prison Survival Questions from a Prison Law Blog Reader

By Christopher Zoukis

The Prison Law Blog recently received an email from a man whose son is about to go to federal prison (sadly, we hear from family members in this situation all too often).  The son is being charged with one count of transportation of child pornography and, understandably, his family is concerned for his safety and general prison experience.  Since such fears are common to all who enter prison, we’ve decided to present this information not in a private email, but in Question & Answer format so that the information is available to other similarly situated persons.

Q) Are federal prisons safer and better run than state prisons?

A) Generally speaking, federal prisons tend to be run more professionally than many state prisons.  This is particularly the case when comparing a regular low security federal prison or medium security prison to a county work camp or prison.  Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities are uniformly funded, and national program statements, policies, and regulations dictate operations.  This alleviates the problem of wardens and superintendents being a law unto themselves which is common in some jurisdictions.

Still, there is an inherent amount of threat and danger in any prison in the country, regardless of the security level.  While virtually any prisoner can survive a federal prison camp or low security facility, life can be more difficult at a medium-security prison, and especially at high security facilities (called “United States Penitentiaries” or “USPs”).  As it is in every jurisdiction, the higher security the prison, the more likely violence and other troubles will occur and the more severe the prison culture becomes.

Q) Should my son seek protective custody due to the nature of the offense?

A) This is something that he will have to decide for himself.  Guessing here, I’m assuming that the son doesn’t have an extensive criminal history and will receive a sentence of less than 30 or 20 years.  If these variables are correct, the son will be housed either in a low security federal prison or a medium security federal prison.  By category, sex offenders are precluded from placement in a federal prison camp (minimum security), unless the restriction is waived (which is done very rarely).  Likewise, federal prison inmates with sentences in excess of 20 years have to be housed in a medium security federal prison and those with sentences in excess of 30 years have to be housed in high security federal prisons (unless this restriction is waived).

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Colorado Fire Compels Prison Evacuation

By Dianne Frazee-Walker The Royal Gorge fire near Canon City, Colorado, was burning out of control on Tuesday, June 11th. Canon City is the home of thirteen prisons located 114 miles south of Denver. Smoke loomed over the oldest territorial prison in Colorado last Tuesday night, causing the forest service to request the State evacuate

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