Allegations have arisen about possibly illegal actions taken by the staff at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), which Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered to be investigated and has requested that the results be shared with him.
In years past, staff at the facility have used unnecessary force when dealing with minors, even resulting in injuries; the cause of the current allegations is still unknown.
“Serious allegations have been raised about events at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department,” Abbott tweeted. “I requested the Texas Rangers to investigate the allegations and submit a report on their findings so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.”
Abbott stated that he expects the TJJD to cooperate fully with the investigation so that the truth can be discovered.
“The Office of the Inspector General for TTJD and the Independent Ombudsman, the state agency responsible for investigating reports of illegal behavior in the TJJD, reported the allegations to prosecuting attorneys”, Abbott wrote in a letter.
In 2019, an officer at TJJD, Ramon Montanya, was filmed restraining a 13-year-old child at the facility, as reported by KSAT.com. The force used to pull the child’s arm behind their back and then lift the arm up resulted in hyperextension and fracturing of the child’s shoulder, which culminated in the officer’s arrest and charge with a first-degree felony.
Abbott has been in direct contact with Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, about the current allegations.
"I am thankful to Gov. Abbott and Col. McCraw for providing the assistance of the Texas Rangers to investigate allegations of illegal conduct among TJJD staff members,” Camille Cain, executive director for the TJJD, said in a statement. "Our agency will, of course, cooperate fully in an effort to ensure that our facilities are as safe as possible for our youth and that any criminal behavior is identified and punished appropriately.”
The TJJD claims that they are underway investigating cases as far back as 2017 to uncover any unknown illegal conduct.
“The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is committed to the highest professional standards in the execution of our agency’s mission and interactions with the youth in our care,” the TJJD said in the statement.