Saturday, November 17, 2007

TYC Heads to Court: Like Sand In a Carburetor, These are the Days of Their Lives

I've heard nothing about how the depositions went this week of the Youth Commission's "Bronco" Billy Humphrey and others involved in the agency's decision to ignore an agreed court order restricting pepper spray use, but the Statesman has a short preview of Monday's court hearing:
Agency officials have been ordered into a Travis County District Court Monday morning to explain why they have not complied with an October court settlement in which they agreed to limit the use of pepper spray in juvenile lockups.

Under the settlement, Dimitria Pope, the Youth Commission's acting executive director, agreed to rescind her Aug. 2 directive allowing guards to use pepper spray more frequently before they try to physically restrain youths.

Attorneys for Texas Appleseed and Advocacy Inc. had sued the Youth Commission to block the expanded pepper-spray use, arguing the change violated state law. Then, two weeks ago, they asked a judge to force the Youth Commission to comply with the settlement — which it quickly promised it would.

It didn't, advocates say.

Each of the plaintiffs has a mental illness or serious emotional disability, and one suffered skin burns after being pepper sprayed three times to prevent him from harming himself, Texas Appleseed board Chairman Jim George said.
The agency has re-submitted the disputed pepper spray policy through the Texas Register process, and is currently in the process of accepting public comments. But as Grits has described before, ignoring the advice of experts, Pope, Humphrey and Co. have bypassed that process twice - both when they originally instituted the policy Aug. 2, and then in defiance of the agreed court order immediately after it was handed down. That's why the court has intervened.

This is really turning into quite a soap opera. Indeed, in asking the obvious questions I feel like I'm writing promo script for Days of Our Lives: What do you think will happen on Monday? Who will Humphrey and Co. try to scapegoat, and will they succeed? What do TYC'ers think will happen to "Bronco" Billy (or "The Humpster," as a number of commenters hilariously call him)? And in the bigger picture, will the Governor appoint a new conservator anytime soon, and with new scandals arising every week, will Dimitria Pope and the TDCJ transplants running the agency make it through the end of the year without being replaced?

Stay tuned to find out, or leave your predictions in the comments.


Anonymous said...

If a court order was not sufficient to compel/convince Dementia, then how effective can anyone else be in doing so (short of the Governor)? And it just doesn't seem like the Governor cares enough to remove this new bunch.

The cube shuffle in Central Office is a nice metaphor for the overall goings on of the agency: It's a 1)whole lot of makework, with an 2)unconvincing purpose, 3)resulting in shambles, and 4)which benefits only a few.

Anonymous said...

This is what I see happening.

Pope will NOT be removed, TYC will continue to crumble. More lawsuits will be filed.This will make National attention in the MSM when a kid dies as a result of their Incompetence. THEN...everybody will be removed from power, including the gov, for allowing this mess to continue.
There is no control here. These people are breaking laws and violating Court orders with no consequences. Something has to give.

Anonymous said...

Humphrey's conduct was blatant. If there is any justice in the world, what should happen is that he should be immediatedly terminated, escorted out the door by the IG's with their guns, and throw in jail by the judge for contempt.

Anonymous said...

The Governor will see they made a mistake and re-appoint Jay as the Conservator. He will then allow the Pope to exit gracefully and a new Acting Executive will be put in place.

Humpster will be charged with violation of a court order but will plea down to a lesser charge and be sent back to TDCJ as a correctional officer. After a few months in his new role he will not feel empowered so he will orchestrate an inmate escape and be charged with a felony, where he will serve 10 years in the Hughes unit.

The Pope will move to Houston and run for office but during the election she will be questioned about her Masters Degree, issued from from some third world country and she will drop out of the race and retire to Pyote Texas.

Anonymous said...

Dementia and her Dummies will continue to spend countless of tax dollars, traveling and remodeling central office with the guv's blessing. We've yet to see anything positive come out of her office that has benefited the employees, youth or the agency as a whole.

Kimbrough got rid of the felons who were an example to the youth that mistakes can be learned from. That there is hope and youth could become productive and contributing members of society by turning their lives around. What a better example is there and what has the current leadership done to implement rehabilitation programs for our youth, ABSOLUTELY NADA, NOTHING, ZILCH, ZERO.

The "TDCJ Suits" were brought in to teach the youth that with a degree and position of authority you can break any law with the lege and the guv's blessing. Even though the screams from TYC employees could be heard within a month of the hostile takeover, no one listened. We've been demeaned, insulted, treated unfairly and used as pawns in their little political game. How can the agency not avoid IMPOLISION, it can't its in progession as we speak and
right before our eyes.

Prediction, they will continue to get away with gross & fiscal mismanagement and until the MSM blows it entirely out of the water by some, as a previous commenter stated, horrid story, whether it be regarding a youth or staff.

Can we hope that our elected officials will act before its too late, their track record says "NO WAY" and as employees, it seems like we have no voice. As voters, we can make a difference by encouraging our friends, families and coworkers to VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE!!

Anonymous said...

and become Ray Brookin's baby's momma, but when Ray goes to the pen for a TYC unrelated charge of illegally operating a male strip club, Pope moves to Houston and opens a bar with Whitmire? Anyone else care to add an ending?

Anonymous said...

All TYC employees not wishing to experience a period of employment in the next year should seek other employment. I hope the stigma of working for TYC does not make it hard to get a job. You need to start looking for a job outside of TYC now unless you can get by on unemployment.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone heard about Pope passing the word to TYC employees they will be terminated if traces of Grits for Breakfast are found on their work computer? I was told even reading Grits would get you axed. I wonder if there is a way CO can have your logon flagged if you read Grits at work. Anyone know the answer?

Anonymous said...

TYC ran me off, and I was able to find a job working with youth. Most people unless they are complete idiots, no that this has been a bunch of political crap to cover the fact the Gov and Lege knew about the WTSS sex abuse issue back when it happened.

Anonymous said...

10:57 hit the nail on the head. The Guv's boy, Jay, was the immediate supervisor of the AG attorney who refused to take the Brookins case way back when. Everyone who knows anything about Jayboy, knows that he is a micromanager, and that the attorney who worked under him would not have dared reject the case without Jayboy's approval. None of the politicians at the time, AG, Guv or Whitmire, wanted the scandal to break in an election year. They needed two years to build their cover. The problems at TYC were/are a direct result of neglect and political shenanigans at the hands of the political leadership.

There is an old saying that politics makes strange bedfellows - and Jay was the glue that held two otherwise political rivals together (Goodhair and Elmer). Pope et al are only doing exactly what Goodhair and Elmer want them to do. The rest of us (and the kids we serve) be damned! Old Salty

Anonymous said...

Actually 10:19,

They don't need to flag a particular machine or logon. All they have to do is set their net management software to track all traces of web activity that leads to GFB. When the activity is detected, the managed system can give them your name, logon, pc logged onto, web addresses visited, time of visit, and even give them a snapshot of the page while you are there and any keystrokes you typed.

If you want to get around this you need to use a bounce or what is called a proxy server. offers this free and so does a site called

With, all their system will see is that you are reading a text file and not that you are even on the net. When they blocked gfb at VFCA, a while back, I set up a bounce called "". The lack of a "www" fools their system into allowing it to go and thinks you are reading a text file. It is still active if you wish to use it. But, if they read this post and I believe they will, I would go and set up your own bounce. You can set up 5 for free. BE SMART, and set the account and the bounce up at home. They can't track that!

I also urge everyone at TYC to watch every thing they put in an email. It does not matter if the email is coming from or going to the ouside world, or just being sent to the teacher across the hall or the dorm next to yours, big sister is watching! A friend and I, inadvertantly discovered that every email sent or recieved by employees is filtered by the administration using a hidden filter account under the name of "Tom Gunther". They may have changed the account name by now, but trust me, big sister is still watching, and she's a bitch.

A good start to protecting yourself is too buy a thumdrive and run your internet from it. I'd reccommend a Lexar with "Power to go" software included. You can download, install, and run software for free. You'll want to get: Mozilla firefox (Internet), Mozilla thunderbird (Email), and Ccleaner (removes all tracking information from your pc).

I really don't care if they like me telling everyone this info because I saw what kind of human feces the new bosses were and found greener pastures to twiddle in.

Good luck and God bless,
Intrepid Critic

Anonymous said...

No wonder TYC runs people off,you people play on the computer at work.And I seen the directive on the peeper spray and there,s nothing wrong with it,stop reading between the lines.Nothing has changed at TYC because you people do not know what you are talking about.I know how to fix it.FILE A LAW SUIT,FILE A LAW SUIT.You people are to funny.Hot Air!Know type your funny comments,That's an order!


Anonymous said...


The pepperspray memo contradicts a legally binding regulation. You can not change the rule without amending it legally. That is why there is a court order and why the TYC administration is being hauled into court.

Howard A. Hickman

Gritsforbreakfast said...

I've responded to him in a couple of other strings this morning, Howard, but "Joe" is spending his Saturday trolling, writing vacuous little nastygrams on topics about which he has little but bile and ignorance to contribute.

There's an old saying from chatroom and listerv etiquette: "Don't feed the trolls." It's an Internet version of Christ's admonition not to "cast pearls before swine." I think both maxims apply to our friend "Joe." best,

Anonymous said...

OK, so what's gonna happen Monday?

Who is the judge and what's been his/her response to those violate his/her orders? What are the possible outcomes? Jail, fines, a combo (make mine with cheese)?

I have to say, this is the first time I've seen something like this go down.

Anonymous said...

ok here is what is going to happen. First of all all email and internet activity has been tracked at tyc. Did you not think so. So yes they will have some problems using state resources for personal use. Clear violation. Since yall want to go the policy methond for pepper spray. Let me see what else can be dont.


Anonymous said...

I would still like to hear from those deposed this past Friday, what did they say, what were some of the questions ask of them?

Anonymous said...

i have always wondered if my discussion of grits was a reason for my not being at tyc anymore. i would not doubt that they could probably monitor my personal email this right now from my home. i am not that computer savy.

if pope and humphrey go, will that mean that neal and martin then go?

will there be a new organization chart, and do i have a chance to get my job back?

i was a good employee.

Anonymous said...

Did they check you elibable for rehire?

Anonymous said...

TYC is not a big story except to those of us who work there and just a few others.

I used to be fearful when problems inside TYC were publicized. Now I understand the problems must be exposed if the system will ever be fixed.

Unfortunately a crisis of some kind is what it will take to bring about change.

Right now we are back in the nobody sees and nobody cares mode

Anonymous said...

I actually want to leave the agency but I feel stuck because I have this TYC tag on me. I wonder how those that were wrongfully terminated panned out? Are they experiencing this too? Maybe I have to take a massive pay cut and start over again, and you know, that's a shame because like many of those wrongfully terminated, I had nothing to do with West Texas and the BS that went down there.

I get tired of feeling like it’s going to come down on me by this Bronco Billy dude. My family life sucks right now because their afraid we’re going to get uprooted by him any day now. Moving superintendents and assistant superintendents every other year or every six years (regardless if you were in either capacity) is a bad idea for TYC.

TDCJ can get away with doing this with their wardens and assistant wardens because they have so many prisons clustered together in Huntsville, Beeville, and so forth. TYC facilities are spread many miles apart.

So if anything, I really wish they’d reconsider this decision so I can stay on board and save my marriage. For me, my employment and marriage can’t co-exist right now.

Anonymous said...


If TYC is monitoring your e-mail at home, then some people are going to the federal pen for a long time. TYC does not have the technical capacity or the access to the resources necessary to do that.

Anonymous said...

The Slop Opera continues.

If da Pope and Bronco Billy are removed what will we have to gripe about?

Then all of the fun here would be over and everyone who wants ot go back to TYC can and will.

I think I'll stay where I am. I am making the same money and have 93 children to deal with instead of 400. And some of these are really neat kids with futures that I don't have to build.

So where's the fun in not having a place to gripe about Dementia and the Humpster?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone sell employment insurance?

Anonymous said...

to 453, 454, 545, and 552.

I am elgible for rehire. However, I do not think they want me. Even if I was to come back what would I exactly be coming back to? Working at TYC will probably screw you up unless you have some very good ways for managing stress. It strained my feelings to the limit, my thinking was pushed to the limit and the result was my relationships and marriage also suffered. My own mental concentration and outlook went below the baseline. I went from a career to no career and now no money. I am trying to put myself back together. My own success plan.

TYC will fail, as I believe It has failed under the new leaders.

Who would really want to come to work there now? Really? It is not about kids any more. That is very hard for me to say. But it is the only reasonable conclusion that I can come to at this time.

I have decided TYC is spinning wildly out of control. I have concluded the driving force is the
ego and need for power and control by the administrators. You know kind of like the same things that were going on at WTSS. There is a curtain. It is that they care. That they provide a service for the youth. Look how they have treated staff!!.

Behaviror is as Behavior does. If they will "do it" with you or someone you know, they will do it with you.

They know nothing about rehabilitation, therapy, or what works. Why do you think they disssed the BRP report!

Why do they shift somebody that questions their decisions. (reference all the ongoing changes in job titles, and most recently Berry at VVF and the DMN articles about his grievence).

I am working on a new life.

Anonymous said...


I know the feeling. Although I make less. I am much happier. Best of luck to you.

Anonymous said...

Not everbody can this type of work.Glad you laid it down before somebody gets hurt or killed.Now go eat your grits.


Anonymous said...

sad sad sad. you know why you were RIF. Then you tried to play the race card. NO YOU NOT ELGIBLE

Anonymous said...

Couple recent issues I haven't seen brought up...

1) As many in Central Office are aware, the treatment branch of TYC has been kicked out of the main office at 4900 North Lamar across town to the Annex. The symbolism is perfect - I can just see these ex-TDCJers think to themselves, "Treatment? These kids don't need no stinking treatment." The disconnect between treatment and the new executive staff becomes even more pronounced.

2) Speaking of TYC spending money frivoluously and become more corrections-oriented, our campus is soon going to have (I've heard) dozens of new security cameras - even offices (clerks' and treatment staff) will have these security cameras. I recognize the importance of surveillance on a secure campus, but c'mon...putting a camera in Sally the clerk's office (who never has a youth in the office)? Give me a break.

Anonymous said...

Why do you think TYC moved the treatment offices out of CO??

They will not be in the treatment biz before long. It has been sold out.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought, could it be that in the near future that UTMB is going to be handling all of the Treatment?
There is a rumor going around that CRTC will no longer be treating the ones with mental illness.

Anonymous said...

6:15, while nothing official has been said as to why treatment has been kicked across town to the annex, my own thoughts are that this new regime from TDCJ truly considers these kids to be "little adults" and may consider treatment to be a waste of time.

Since their arrival, they've certainly spent more time and money on becoming more of a corrections-oriented agency than a treatment-oriented agency. They (the TDCJers) probably consider treatment to be a nuisance and would rather not be bothered.

Anonymous said...

If you like the "Humpster", nickname, he is also known as B-Hump in the TDCJ hip-hop world. His latest soon to be released CD is entitled "Let's Bust a Cap in Some TYC Ass".

Anonymous said...

Madden needs to call them on the carpet for moving Treatment to the Annex. I don't think that's what he had in mind.

Anonymous said...

Don't panic.

Human Resources and Payroll moved to the annex.

Treatment is just down the hall where Human Resources used to be.....

Treatment will be sharing close quarters with the group previously known as Juvenile Corrections.

Anonymous said...

I use to love working for this agency. But this so called new admin. has just made a mess of everything. They have the admin. so jacked up that the ones that are not dictators are being run off. The US. has been putting dictators out of office for decades , lets do the same here at home.

Anonymous said...

Anybody going to court today and watch them squirm?

Anonymous said...

I would like to hear if there was any squirming.

These people seem to be masde of teflon. I remember when CRTC nicknamed Freeman "Teflon Don". I don't suppose he is now. I also remember a JCO VI who was nicknamed KY for he slick he was.

The new bosses at CO are just chips off the old teflon block.

Anonymous said...




FIRST: Be sprayed dailey for two weeks.

SECOND: Put into shackles for two months.

THIRD: Sent them to Mart for a two year BMP in solitary.

FOURTH: Go into the real world and get a real job and pay the tax payers of Texas back all of the money you owe tem for being a failure as a public servant.

NEXT: Perry, Whitmire, Madden........

Anonymous said...

Due to the present overtime policy by Dapope. In which she states that STAR team overtime hours will not be paid and banked at this time, or used for time off which some staff are unable to receive due to staff shortage. And with TYC violating policy PRS 19.23 by refusing to pay the overtime, 18 members of the Brownwood Star team today turned in their resignation from the team. Good luck to the state troopers who will take their place.

Anonymous said...

can we get some overtime, why they keep making these dump made up postions. show us the money

Anonymous said...

Cause d'Pope got it going on! She'll never show you the money, she gave it to Phillips and her cronies. To bad, so sad for you!! They are all laughing all the way to the bank while you eat beans for dinner every night!!

Anonymous said...

how can anyone ask where the overtime is coming from. 300 hours of madatory training for all staff to be completed yesterday, not the mention of all the shortages.

Know one wants to work for TYC and very few want to remain working for TYC. These no leadership skilled idiots will walk in soon to and staff less facility and then what will they do?

Staff have been killing thems selves with stress home lives are bad because of the overtime, bad days off, working on hollidays, weird hours, and ect... The one thing staff was happy bout is the extra money from all the overtime they are working. But that was taken from the staff. Some one should really take a look at whats going on because the facilities are soon to be ghost towns.

Anonymous said...


Anonymous said...

As a former Law Enforcement Officer, maybe the use of pepper spray wasn't the best idea. I don't know. But from the comments on this blog neither do many of you. The fact that many of these "kids" would have been physically restrained by force seems to be lost in this debate. But then we are not debating the actions of the COs, we're condeming and slandering the TYC managers. Sounds like some folks got fired and they're just mad at those who fired them. No one runs off a good CO, that is unless those COs aren't as good as they think they are.
Politics aside, if you have information about what goes on in TYC, then step up and offer it to the judge. If you just dislike the TYC management, then this is the place for you. Setting out there in "internet world" cutting down the people who seem to be trying to change the system. Let's admit it, TYC wasn't perfect before this group arrived. And if the worst they have done is "authorise" the use pepper spray verses the "old school" beat down COs use to administer to the "kids", then we need more folks like them and less like the whinners on this blog. Sorry didn't mean to go personal, but then that's what this is all about isn't it. Personal vendettas at the expense of the TYC. Keep em flying boys, TYC is probably better off with Bronco Billy then it was with you guys. And if you're still employed by TYC, you know this is a bunch of crock. The system needed changing and a lot of the bad things that happened at TYC, was on your watch. So take some responsibility for what happened to those kids that brought Bronco Billy and his gang to TYC. It's time you folks manned-up or stepped a side. Either way you should stop the attacks, unless you want to step up and sign your name to a formal complaint. No, didn't think so!

Anonymous said...

j d smith

It does not appear you have much personal knowledge of TYC and its inner workings. Until you have been there and done the job for a decade or more your comments don't count for much. There are plenty of openings at TYC so why don't you show us how its done since you have all the answers. You could get a job at CO if you don't already work there.

Anonymous said...

Apparently there were no consequences to Pope and Co. The judge just told them to try and work out an agreement.

Ummm...isn't that what they did a couple of months ago?

Why should TYC now respect this latest instruction if it didn't respect the last one?

And if they couldn't come up with an agreement by this Wednesday, said the judge, then they could try and come up with one after the holidays.

No deadlines? Cmon! Where is the enforcement here? Judge Triana just made the judiciary look impotent. That has broad implications -- beyond any pepper spray issue.

Anonymous said...

j.d. I am not a JCO, but I am in a good position to observe what they go through. The problem with the pepper spray policy is (1) the change was made illegally, (2) the JCO staff have been given conflicting instructions, (3) staff have been disciplined for failing to follow those instructions (4) kids have stepped up to fill the vaccuum of leadership. If you are truly a law enforcement officer, I invite you to apply for one of the remaining three IG positions. There's an opening at Mart, at Giddings and, best of all, at Evins. Come on down!

Anonymous said...

At first I thought you were going to say "I'm not a JCO, but I play one on TV"
Sorry but I don't want to be a CO. I neither have he appititude nor the patience to work woth Juvies. There are plenty of good ones doing a difficult job. But If everyone who disagrees with your option is discounted because "only those who have been there can speak about it" then nothing in this world would ever get better. Your biggest knock on TYC present management is that they came from outside the TYC. But maybe that's waht's needed, someone from the outside who can take a fresh look at an old problem, Maybe the present management aren't the ones to do this. But they haven't really been given time to make it better. It wasn't broken overnight and it's going to take some time to fix it. But that doesn't mean the system doesn't need a shake up. I have to give it to Him, Billie has shook it up. But did he make it worst? I doubt it. As far as the anonymous comments that:

"The problem with the pepper spray policy is (1) the change was made illegally,"

Nothing has been presented that the pepper spray use was illegal. The agreement and court order stated that TYC would reduce the use of peperspray and did not forbid the use. As evident by the Judges lack of sanction on TYC, this issue seems much to do about nothing.

"(2) the JCO staff have been given conflicting instructions,"

I think the memo Billie sent out explained things rather clearly. TYC COs were still authorized to use pepper spray to prevent injury to the "Kids" and to the COs. It's in writting and you can't get nmore cleare than that. Also, I give him credit,He had the BALLS to put it in writing, so no CO could be charged for acting without authority. I kind of rspect tat type of action, even when it's not the most politically savy move. Sounds like wheter you like him or not, Billie got Gonads the size of Texas. Must be the Bulldog in him.

"(3) staff have been disciplined for failing to follow those instructions"
Finally the truth comes out. This isn't about the pepper spray or the "Kids", but about discipline actions against some COs and Managers. This is about those who got their hands slapped for what ever reason. I'm sure it wasn't because they refused to use pepper spray and put thier bodies at risk to prove a point. Could it be they were sanctioned because they used physical force and a "Kid" got hurt when ppper spray would have prevented it? Enquiring minds would like to know, just how many were punished because they refused to us pepper spray because they thought it was forbidden, and not punished because they used inappropriate physical force, where pepper spray was an option of lesser force? Did someone file workers comp for injuries on the job only have it denied because their injuries could have been prevented had they used pepper spray ratehr going Manno Manno with the "Kids".

and last but not least"(4) kids have stepped up to fill the vaccuum of leadership."

Excuse me but what's bad about this? What "leadership" are you talking about? We all know that the biggest risk in TYC are the "Kids" and a lack of leadership. But at what level of leadership are we talking about? Did the "kids" take over the centers? Did they issue out punishmnet? Did they hire and fire TYC personnel? Are the inmates running the asylum? Or did some of them grow up and start taking responsibility for their envoronment? Sounds to me like a good thing that they stepped up. Sounds to me like they were growing up and trying to better themselves. Maybe the stepping up replaced an employee who had that role previousely. Maybe this is about the employees and not the "Kids?"

Listen, if you are a CO and go to work eveyday and try to do your best and perform yur duties to the best of your ability, I applaud you. I think you're over worked and underpayed. However, there are no free passes, not for TYC employes or the "Kids". TYC is only as good as the folks who work there. If it's broke then everone in the system has a duty to stand up and say where it's broke. Maybe the Gov needs to do a clean sweep from the top down. Not sure if that's practical, or that he has the guts to do it, but maybe it's what's need. But what's also needed is for the emplyess of TYC to stand up and be counted. It a bad thing to have your job threatened, but if tellng the truth means your job is at risk then who wants a job where you ahve to lie to ourself and give up your dignity for a check.

It's been nice conversing with you. I wish you all the best. But I also hope that the changes the TYC management is making makes things better for both the "Kids" and the employees. I don't have the answers to these problems but some of you could make a positive difference. Those of you who have "a decade" in the system need to drop the "anonymous" and stand up and be counted. You'll find that many would respect you more for that than just talking about it.

Good luck and God give you the strength to face tomorrow. It's going to be a blast.

Anonymous said...

J.D. - Thank God you're a former law enforcement officer and don't have the aptitude or the patience to work with kids. We have enough people like you running TYC right now. From your comments, you must have naked pictures of the Humpster in your wallet, or are related to him, or are his steroid connection. In the short time that these TDCJ folks have been in charge, staffing levels are dangerously low at most, if not all facilities, and getting lower every day; morale is in the toilet and the kids are receiving no treatment. It is obvious that you haven't got a clue about juvenile corrections, so in the interest of good taste and proper decorum, please keep your uniformed comments to yourself. Also, you need to note that Humpster has no balls, the steroids took care of them.

Anonymous said...

1. Howard has already addressed the reasons the change in policy is illegal. It is not the policy itself, it is the way it was changed that is illegal. There are some positives in the use of pepper spray if it is done right.
2. You obviously have not read all the written instructions that have come out, if you don't believe the instructions given to staff are contradictory and confusing.
3. The staff discipline has been inconsistent, because even the Superintendents are confused about what their instructions are. They have written instructions and they have verbal instructions.
4. If you think for one moment that the kids are stepping up in a positive way to fill the vaccuum of leadership, you must be smoking something other than tobacco. The predatory leaders are the ones stepping up.

The main point is that there is no way we can encourage kids to follow the law, when the leadership of TYC refuses to follow the law. We have to walk the walk, or the kids rightly judge us as hypocrites.

I myself resigned from a Federal law enforcement agency because I was asked to do something that was blatantly illegal under the guise of the end justifies the means. My late mother taught me that two wrongs never make a right. I have tried to pass that on to the kids I deal with.

As for why people post anonymously - retaliation is alive and well in TYC. I have been more publicly vocal than some because I have made the "rule of 80", but, I also know that if I am no longer in TYC, I can no longer work from within to support those who need support. (That includes supporting those kids who are the victims of the predatory leaders I mentioned above.)

Anonymous said...


I understand the concept of "No one runs off a good CO, that is unless those COs aren't as good as they think they are", but I think you are ignoring the fact that if a CO refuses to be 'run off' by a retaliatory/illegal termination notice the next step is a trespassing warning and a restraining order. Further refusal to be 'run off' will probably result in jail time.

Anonymous said...

JD Smith's comments should be a wake-up for each one of you.

The powers that be have spoken by their silence or lack of activity.
Here comes the train! get on board or get off the tracks (or suffer).

Wow! that much talked about court hearing really resulted in some serious sanctions didn't it????