Program Description

Texas Youth Commission

Overview

The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) is the state’s juvenile corrections agency. Within a system of fifteen secure institutions and nine residential halfway houses, the agency cares for the most chronically delinquent and serious violent juvenile offenders. These youth are committed by judges for mostly felony-level crimes that occur between the ages of 10 and 17 years. Offenders can remain in the TYC until their 21st birthday. The TYC receives its funding through state funds with a small percentage coming from Federal funds and interagency contracts. The average length of stay in 2002 was nearly 23 months. TYC is funded to meet approximately 40 percent of the specialized treatment needs of their population.

All offenders sent to the TYC begin processing at the Orientation and Assessment Unit. Here they receive mental and physical health screenings and are introduced to the Re-socialization program (required for all inmates). Re-socialization consists of five phases in which the teens learn responsibility, empathy, and prevention techniques. The average length of stay is 45 to 60 days. Youth are then transferred to an appropriate facility after completing the assessment and orientation process. For a small number (approximately three percent) of serious and violent offenders, additional intensive treatment is required. Only juveniles classified as high risk or in high need of specialized treatment participate in these programs. Treatment is delivered through a continuum of services provided in state-operated or private institutions and in community settings. It is designed specifically for violent offenders, sex offenders, chemically dependent offenders, offenders with mental health impairments, and offenders with mental retardation.

Youth with mental health disorders enter the Emotionally Disturbed Treatment Program (EDTP) at Corsicana Residential Treatment Center, which takes 9 months to complete. Participants undergo a 30-day evaluation period to confirm their need for emotional/mental health treatment. The program focuses on behavior management as well as symptoms of emotional disturbance. In addition to EDTP, Corsicana includes a specialized stabilization unit for youth who are dangerous to themselves or others. Other youth may be sent to state hospitals from TYC in order to receive intensive medical and mental health care before the completion of their stay, and may be returned to the EDTP to continue treatment.

Recidivism rates for youth in intensive specialized treatment programs were compared to rates for youth who demonstrated a high need for treatment, but were unable to receive the services. The notable difference in recidivism rates between youth who received specialized treatment and those with high need who did not receive it, indicates that intensive specialized treatment programs reduce recidivism more than the basic TYC Re-socialization program for youths with specialized needs.

Reference

Overview of the Juvenile Corrections System in Texas. Retrieved from www.tyc.state.tx.us/about/overview.html

Program Contact

Corsicana Residential Treatment Center
Lynda Smith
Assistant Superintendent
4000 W. 2nd Avenue
Corsicana, Texas 75110
Phone: 903-872-4821
Fax: 903-872-6667