Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse: Get Help
Individuals impacted by physical or sexual abuse in a Texas juvenile detention center deserve to seek help and healing. You have legal rights and options from reporting to the state board to filing a civil lawsuit - and Helping Survivors can help you take the next best step in your journey.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
Key Takeaways
- Physical and sexual abuse at Texas youth detention centers has been a well-known and documented issue since the first facility opened in 1889.
- Nearly a dozen correction facility officers and workers have been arrested over abuse allegations in the last decade.
- In February 2024, The U.S. Justice Department released a recently completed study with alarming findings, including that staff had used force against incarcerated children almost 7,000 times in 2019 alone.
- If you or someone you know has experienced physical or sexual abuse at a youth detention center in Texas, you have legal rights and options to pursue justice and healing, including eligibility to file a lawsuit seeking monetary compensation for the harm you’ve suffered.
Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Texas: An Overview
Juvenile detention centers are facilities where youths under 18 are detained while awaiting trial for criminal offenses or jailed following a criminal conviction. They are also called youth detention centers, juvenile jails, or juvenile halls.
Research indicates that youths detained at juvenile detention centers have high rates of sexual victimization, even surpassing those of adult prisons and jails.
Many young people incarcerated in Texas juvenile detention centers have already suffered from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Too often, when they get to a detention center, they face further harm and trauma rather than receive the help they need to learn new skills, rehabilitate, and move forward with their young lives.
Youth detention centers in Texas are run by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, formerly known as the Texas Youth Commission. These programs have a long history of abuse allegations, spanning back to the original center, the Gatesville State School for Boys, which opened in 1889. That “reform school” has an on-property cemetery with the graves of 16 boys who died in custody at the facility.
While the Texas government has enacted multiple reforms over the years to address the widespread abuse allegations at these facilities, reports of harm continue to mount. In 2007, after many, many years of abuse scandals, Texas closed half of the state’s youth prisons.
- Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Texas: An Overview
- Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse: Examples & How to Get Help
- The U.S. Justice Department’s Investigation on Abuse in Texas Youth Detention Centers
- Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Texas
- How an Experienced Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawyer Can Help
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse: Examples & How to Get Help
The rampant abuse at Texas juvenile detention centers is alarming. There are dozens of media reports and investigations documenting the widespread forms of abuse within these facilities.
Examples of Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
If you have experienced any form of physical or sexual abuse at a youth detention center in Texas, you have rights and options to seek help and healing.
Some documented examples of physical and sexual abuse in Texas youth detention centers include the following:
- Strangulation
- Use of excessive force, including the use of tasers and pepper spray
- The holding of individuals in stressful positions for extended periods
- Inappropriate strip searches
- Exposure to pornographic material
- Solicitation of sexual acts in exchange for drugs, money, or food
- Sexual assault
- Rape
The above is not a complete list of the harm at these facilities. However, these are all real-life examples of juvenile detention center abuse perpetrated by staff in Texas facilities that detainees have reported.
Experiencing any form of harm can be incredibly traumatizing. It is often hard for survivors to fully label the abuse in the moment. For example, you may believe you consented to the acts at the time. However, minors lack the legal capacity to consent to sexual activity. Additionally, the law recognizes the position of authority and control that guards and staff hold over detainees. Thus, detainees are incapable of consenting to sexual acts with guards or detention center staff.
If you have experienced any form of physical or sexual abuse while detained at a Texas juvenile detention center, you have legal rights and options. We understand that you may have difficulty believing in or trusting the legal system after your experience. However, an experienced and trauma-informed attorney can help support you in this process and advocate for your best interests.
Contact Helping Survivors today to learn more about your options. We can connect you with a compassionate and knowledgeable attorney with experience handling these types of cases.
While Texas generally has a 30-year statute of limitations for filing child sexual abuse lawsuits, we recommend acting as soon as possible to understand your rights and options even if you do not immediately file a claim.
List of Juvenile Detention Centers in Texas
There are currently only five operating juvenile detention centers in Texas. The majority were closed for various reasons, including abuse allegations. Even if you were abused at a now-shuttered facility, you still have rights and options to seek justice and healing. You may still be entitled to file a civil lawsuit to seek monetary compensation for the harm you endured.
The following are the currently operating and closed juvenile detention centers in Texas:
- Angelina County Juvenile Detention Center
- Atascosa County Juvenile Justice Center
- Bell County Juvenile Services Center
- Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center
- Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Center
- R. J. Holmgreen Juvenile Justice Center
- Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center
- John R. Roach Juvenile Detention Center
- Dr. Jerome McNeil Jr. Detention Center
- Denton County Juvenile Detention Center
- Ector County Youth Center
- El Paso County Juvenile Detention Center
- Fort Bend County Juvenile Detention Center
- Jerry J. Esmond Juvenile Justice Center
- Garza County Regional Juvenile Center
- Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson County Detention Center
- Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center
- Guadalupe County Juvenile Detention Center
- Hardin County Juvenile Detention Center
- Harris County Juvenile Justice Center
- Willoughby Juvenile Services
- Hays County Juvenile Pre-Detention Center
- Judge Mario E. Ramirez Jr. Juvenile Justice Center
- Lake Granbury Youth Services
- Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center
- Lubbock County Juvenile Justice Center
- Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center
- Barbara Culver Juvenile Detention Center
- The Center For Success And Independence Rockdale Academy
- Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center
- Nueces County Juvenile Justice Center/Overflow
- The Youth Center Of The High Plains
- San Patricio County Juvenile Detention Center
- Smith County Juvenile Detention Center
- Starr County Juvenile Justice Center
- Lynn W. Ross Juvenile Detention Center
- Taylor County Juvenile Detention Center
- Tom Green County Juvenile Detention Center
- Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center
- Val Verde County Juvenile Detention Center
- Van Zandt County Multi-Youth Center
- Victoria County Juvenile Justice Center
- Solomon Casseb Jr. Webb County Youth Village
- Judge Arthur R. Tipps Juvenile Justice Center
- Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center
We are here to listen and advocate for you.
The U.S. Justice Department’s Investigation on Abuse in Texas Youth Detention Centers
In October 2021, the U.S. Justice Department launched a formal investigation into the five remaining Texas youth detention centers based on widespread reports of “physical and sexual abuse by staff and other residents, excessive use of chemical restraints and excessive use of isolation.” The investigation came following the arrests of 11 staff members on charges of sexually abusing youth detainees.
The investigation’s results, published in February 2024, include the following details:
- More than 50,000 juveniles are arrested in Texas or referred to the juvenile probation system every year. However, during fiscal year 2023, the number of youth in state-secured facilities is around 590.
- In 2019 alone, Texas Juvenile Justice Department staff used force against incarcerated children almost 7,000 times. Across all facilities, 47 percent of all detainees were subjected to force.
- A state commission found that the wait times for bathroom breaks during lockdowns can take up to three or more hours, during which detainees were forced to urinate in bottles. The commission attributed this to massive understaffing and the overuse of lockdowns.
- Four of the five centers experienced an increase in sexual misconduct investigations by the Office of Inspector General from 2020 to 2022.
- In 2021, there were more than 6,500 suicide alerts at the facilities—an increase of about 40 percent since 2019.
- Between 2019 and 2021, there were 10,000 violations identified as assaults on youths and staff in the facilities; 20 percent of these assaults resulted in bodily harm.
- In 2019, Black youths in Texas were 4.7 times more likely to be incarcerated than White youths. Latino youths were 1.6 times more likely to be detained.
All of these statistics are alarming. Even more alarming is the increase in reports of misconduct and the use of force. This increase has occurred even though the number of juveniles detained at the facilities has decreased by over a third since 2018.
However, Texas has allocated nearly $200 million to construct two to three new juvenile detention facilities. Rather than investing in other reform programs and additional staffing at existing facilities, as directed by the U.S. Justice Department, the Texas legislature has decided to build more facilities.
Media Attention: Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Texas
Since the original youth detainment center opened in Texas, there have been consistent media reports of harm happening at these facilities.
While these reports have spotlighted the abuse, especially in recent years, harm continues to happen. Meanwhile, the perpetrators and the institutions responsible for the harm have largely escaped accountability. Hopefully, the Justice Department’s report spur more action, including lawsuits by formerly incarcerated youths, to change these systems.
The Juvenile “Injustice” System: How Texas Turns a Blind Eye on Incarcerated Youth
A harrowing February 2024 article by the Harvard Political Review details the long history of abuse allegations at Texas juvenile detention centers. The piece gives a detailed history of these facilities and the harm that has occurred. It also documents the few reforms that have been attempted and the limited changes that have resulted.
The author concludes that these facilities can not be reformed. Instead, funding should be focused on alternative rehabilitation programs that return youths to their communities.
Complaints Against Texas’ Juvenile Prisons Include Violence and Sex Abuse
A 2021 New York Times report documents three disturbing cases involving the sexual abuse of incarcerated youths at Texas facilities. In one case, a prison officer forced a boy in custody to perform oral sex. The boy later attempted suicide. In another case, a teenage girl became pregnant after being sexually abused by a corrections officer. In the third case, a prison worker engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a teenager in custody that continued after the teen was released on parole. Each of these perpetrators was arrested on criminal charges. They are among the near-dozen staff members charged with sexually abusing incarcerated youth.
The report also details the Justice Department’s first findings in 2018 that children detained at Texas detention centers suffered much higher rates of sexual victimization than in other states. They found that while 7 percent of youths in juvenile facilities across the United States report being the victim of sexual abuse, three Texas facilities had much higher rates of complaints. At a detention center in Brownwood, 14 percent of detainees reported sexual abuse. At two other facilities, one in six children reported sexual abuse.
For More Than a Century, Texas Youth Prisons Have Fostered Abuse
A 2021 article in the Washington Post’s Perspectives details the history of youth detention center facilities in Texas. The piece documents the facilities’ beginnings in the 1890s through their rise during the 1990s when Governor George W. Bush promoted the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, which toughened sentencing guidelines and appropriated more than $200 million to construct new facilities.
During this time, Texas also expanded the use of the juvenile death penalty, carrying out 13 of the 23 nationwide executions for juvenile capital offenses between 1985 and 2005.
Like other articles, the piece argues against these facilities and concludes that funding would be better spent on community-based rehabilitation and prevention programs.
Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Texas
- Right to equal treatment
- Right to free speech and expression
- Right to religious freedom
- Right to personal possessions
- Right to receive visitors
- Right to access to mail and telephone
- Right to earnings and monetary gifts
- Right to protection from physical and psychological harm
- Right to medical and dental care
- Right to access attorneys
- Right to be informed
- Right to accuracy and fairness
- Right to confidentiality of records
- Right to file grievances and appeal decisions
However, investigations have shown that these rights are continuously violated, with detainees facing various forms of violence and harm.
If you or someone you know has experienced abuse at a juvenile detention center in Texas, you have rights and options. You are entitled to report the abuse to the state board, file a civil lawsuit, speak to the media, and seek mental health support.
If you have questions about these options or want to speak with an experienced juvenile detention center abuse lawyer who can explain your rights and options, contact us today.
File a Civil Lawsuit
If you have experienced physical or sexual abuse at a Texas juvenile detention center, you may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit or participate in an existing one against the state, the facility, and the perpetrator.
A civil lawsuit enables you to seek monetary damages to compensate for the harm you have experienced. Additionally, it can establish a public record documenting the abuse to let other survivors know they are not alone and encourage them to come forward.
Sexual abuse lawsuits are subject to a legal deadline called the civil statute of limitations. Once this deadline passes, victims can no longer file suit to seek compensation.
Texas has a more survivor-friendly statute of limitations for filing a sexual abuse lawsuit than most other states. As of 2019, individuals have up to 30 years after their 18th birthday to file a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. Thus, victims have until they turn 48 to file a claim.
An experienced and reputable lawyer will provide a free consultation to discuss your ability to file a lawsuit. Additionally, experienced juvenile detention center abuse attorneys generally take these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs to filing a suit, and they are only compensated if and when they win.
Report to the State
Individuals also have the right to report sexual abuse at Texas juvenile detention centers to the state’s oversight board. In Texas, the governing board is The Texas Juvenile Justice Department Board.
Their website directs individuals to report to different divisions. The state also offers a hotline (866-477-8354) that individuals can call to report harm. Calls are answered by personnel from the Office of the Inspector General 24/7.
Please note: We highly recommend you speak to an experienced juvenile detention center abuse lawyer before contacting the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. A lawyer can protect your rights during the reporting process. Helping Survivors can connect you with an experienced attorney today.
Report to Law Enforcement
Reporting to the police can be intimidating for survivors of juvenile detention center abuse because the harm likely came at the hands of a law enforcement officer, such as a correctional officer, guard, police officer, or other staff member.
If the individual is still incarcerated at the detention center, they may not feel safe reporting the harm themselves for fear of retaliation. However, a trusted individual can help navigate the reporting process and explore the incarcerated youth’s rights and options while always centering their safety. Again, we highly recommend speaking to an experienced attorney, who can ensure the individual doesn’t experience retaliatory abuse while seeking help.
If the abuse happened years ago, you still have a right to report it to law enforcement. However, the authorities’ ability to prosecute the offense will depend on various factors, including the availability of evidence and the applicable criminal statute of limitations.
If you wish to report abuse to law enforcement, we can help you understand the process.
We are here to listen and advocate for you.
How an Experienced Texas Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawyer Can Help
If you have suffered harm from physical or sexual assault, abuse, or harassment while in a Texas juvenile detention center, you may be entitled to pursue legal action by filing a civil lawsuit against the facility. A civil lawsuit can help you secure compensation to cover the resources you need to recover from the harm.
Additionally, an experienced lawyer can explain your other rights and options, from filing a police report to reporting to the state board.
An experienced juvenile detention center abuse lawyer can do the following:
- Investigate and gather evidence of the abuse at the facility.
- Prepare and submit a report to the oversight authorities, such as the Texas Juvenile Justice Department Board.
- Report the incident to law enforcement if it hasn’t been done yet.
- Initiate a sexual abuse lawsuit on your behalf.
- Manage all communications with the parties involved, their legal representatives, and the courts.
- Manage the discovery process, including depositions.
- Negotiate with facility representatives for a fair and just settlement.
- Represent you in court proceedings, including a trial if necessary.
- File the lawsuit under seal or anonymously to protect your identity as allowed by law.
- Advocate for your best interests throughout the case.
Finding an experienced and trustworthy attorney can be overwhelming, especially after experiencing harm within the legal system. At Helping Survivors, we work with experienced law firms nationwide that assist survivors of all forms of sexual abuse, including those with experience handling juvenile detention center abuse cases.
Every law firm we work with has trauma-informed professionals who fiercely advocate for you. They also offer free consultations and take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront fees, and they only get paid if and when they win.
Contact us today, and we can connect you with an experienced attorney.
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