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PROMOTE social and economic justice
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CHAMPION the rights of the poor and marginalized
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PARTNER with pro bono attorneys and other professionals
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FOCUS on policy solutions to major social problems
TEXAS APPLESEED is one of 16 public interest law centers in the Appleseed network in the United States and Mexico City. |
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Texas Appleseed Urges Justice Department to Investigate Unsafe Conditions in TYC Lockdown Facilities
Texas Appleseed has joined with Advocacy Inc., the Center for Public Representation, and the National Center for Youth Law in calling for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into reports of violence, improper use of restraints, and program deficiencies in 10 secure lockdown facilities operated by the Texas Youth Commission (TYC).
These 10 facilities house about 2,000 young offenders,  and most are located far outside major urban centers. Interviews conducted in these secure units, along with information acquired from TYC through open records requests -- document accounts of inadequate mental health care, excessive use of restraints for minor offenses, lack of educational programming with inadequate provision for special education students, and an atmosphere of fear for personal safety reported by young detainees in some facilities.
Examples drawn from these interviews are included in the advocates' August 24th letter to the Justice Department's Chief of Special Litigation:
Letter to U.S. Department of Justice
Press release
Read more about Texas Appleseed's work to improve conditions in the Texas Youth Commission.
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