The Texas Youth Commission, commonly called TYC, was the state agency that ran Texas’s juvenile corrections system for more than sixty years. It no longer exists. The Legislature abolished TYC in 2011 and transferred its powers, facilities, and records to a new agency, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). If you are looking up an old commitment, trying to seal a juvenile record, or figuring out where a family member is now held, TJJD is the agency you deal with today.
Why TYC Was Shut Down
TYC operated with little outside scrutiny for decades. That ended in 2007, when allegations of widespread physical and sexual abuse of youth at multiple facilities triggered an emergency investigation by the State Auditor’s Office. The Legislative Audit Committee met in March 2007, found gross mismanagement, and recommended the Governor appoint a conservator for the agency.1Texas State Auditor’s Office. An Investigative Report on the Texas Youth Commission
The audit documented retaliation against youth who filed grievances, staff reports of abuse that led to no action, and structural failures such as insufficient surveillance, no maximum occupancy rates, and inadequate staff-to-youth ratios. Grievances that policy required to be resolved within 15 working days were taking an average of nearly 57 calendar days.1Texas State Auditor’s Office. An Investigative Report on the Texas Youth Commission
The political fallout was enough that lawmakers chose to dismantle the agency rather than try another round of internal reform. TYC did not quietly sunset. The state concluded it could not be fixed.
How TYC Became TJJD
In 2011, the 82nd Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 653, which abolished both the Texas Youth Commission and the separate Texas Juvenile Probation Commission effective December 1, 2011. All powers and duties of both agencies moved to a new entity, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.2Texas Legislature Online. Texas Senate Bill 653 – Relating to Abolishing the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
The merger put community probation and secure facility commitments under one roof. SB 653 instructed the new system to prioritize community-based and family-based programs over placement in secure facilities, a direct response to the institutional failures at TYC.2Texas Legislature Online. Texas Senate Bill 653 – Relating to Abolishing the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission The legal framework for TJJD now sits in Title 12 of the Texas Human Resources Code.3Justia Law. Texas Human Resources Code Title 12
What TJJD Does Today
TJJD is run by a thirteen-member board appointed by the Governor with Senate confirmation.4Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Board Governance and Policy Manual It operates five state juvenile correctional facilities: Evins in Edinburg, Gainesville, Giddings, Mart (near Waco), and Ron Jackson in Brownwood.5Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Facilities It also runs halfway houses that serve as a transitional step before parole, and it supervises youth on parole after release. Youth released from a facility must contact their parole officer within 24 hours and complete intake within seven working days, starting at intensive supervision that can step down as they progress.6Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Step-Down and Reentry
How to Request Old TYC or TJJD Records
TJJD inherited all of TYC’s records at the merger. Requests for records about a former ward, whether from the TYC era or more recent, go through TJJD’s Open Records Section.
What to Gather First
Pull together everything you can before you file. That means the full legal name the youth used at commitment, date of birth, Social Security number if you have it, approximate years of incarceration or supervision, and the names of any facilities where the person was housed. The more identifiers you include, the faster the search.
Where to Send the Request
- Mail: Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Attn: Open Records Section, 1801 N. Congress Ave., Suite 13.1400, Austin, Texas 78701
- Email: open.records@tjjd.texas.gov
- Online: the Public Information Request form on the TJJD website
- Phone: 512-490-8455
Requests for research or statistical data use form LS-355, available on the TJJD site.7Texas Juvenile Justice Department. General Counsel
Timing and Attorney General Review
The Texas Public Information Act (Chapter 552 of the Government Code) sets the ground rules. If TJJD needs more than ten business days to produce records, it must tell you when they will be ready. If it wants to withhold any portion, it must request a ruling from the Attorney General within that same ten-business-day window. If you hear nothing within ten business days, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Open Records Division.8Office of the Attorney General. Overview of the Public Information Act
What Will Be Redacted
Juvenile records carry stronger confidentiality protections than adult records. TJJD treats all youth health records, including mental health information, as confidential, with access limited to healthcare providers and approved staff with a legitimate need to know. Medical records other than immunizations and vision and hearing test results are not released to outside parties without proper consent.9Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Health Record and Confidentiality Issues Expect redactions, especially for medical information, psychological evaluations, and anything that could identify other youth. A former ward requesting their own records generally has an easier path than a family member or third party. Former TYC or TJJD staff looking for employment records should contact HR at the facility where they worked or the central office.
Sealing a Juvenile Record From the TYC Era
If you went through TYC years ago and the record is still following you, Texas Family Code Section 58.256 lets you apply to have juvenile records sealed. You must meet all of these:
- You are at least 17, or younger than 17 with at least one year since final discharge
- You have no pending juvenile matters with any probation department or juvenile court
- Your case was not transferred to adult court under Section 54.02
- You have no adult felony conviction
- You have no pending adult charges for a felony or jail-eligible misdemeanor
Records cannot be sealed if you received a determinate sentence for one of the serious offenses the statute lists, if you currently must register as a sex offender, or if you were committed to TJJD and have not yet been discharged. The court can seal the records without a hearing if the application is approved, or hold one at its discretion.10State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 58.256 – Application for Sealing Records Sealing treats the records as if they do not exist for most purposes, including employment background checks. The application goes to the juvenile court that handled the original case.
When a Juvenile Case Can Reach Adult Prison
Most juvenile commitments in Texas carry indeterminate sentences, with TJJD controlling release based on progress. Determinate sentencing is the exception, and it matters because it is the mechanism that can keep a juvenile in custody well into adulthood and transfer them to adult prison if rehabilitation fails. A prosecutor can refer the case to a grand jury, and if approved, the juvenile court can impose a specific sentence.
Under Texas Family Code Section 53.045, the eligible offenses include murder and capital murder, manslaughter and intoxication manslaughter, aggravated kidnapping, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, injury to a child, elderly, or disabled individual (charged as a felony above state jail level), felony deadly conduct involving firearm discharge, certain first-degree controlled substance offenses, arson resulting in bodily injury or death, criminal attempt of murder or capital murder, criminal solicitation and solicitation of a minor, and habitual felony conduct. The petition must be filed before the juvenile turns 18. Sentencing ranges go up to 40 years for first-degree felonies, 20 years for second-degree, and 10 years for third-degree.11State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 53.045
Rights of a Youth Currently in TJJD Custody
If someone in your family is in a TJJD facility now, the rights that apply to them are set out in agency policy and are enforceable through the grievance process. They include protection from discrimination based on race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or national origin; adequate food, clothing, and shelter, with food and sleep off-limits as punishment; a prohibition on using medication to control behavior rather than treat a medical need; basic and emergency medical and dental care; private communication with attorneys; and regular contact with family through visits, mail, and phone calls. Youth also have due process rights in discipline, confidentiality of records, and control over their trust fund money.12Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Basic Youth Rights
Filing a Grievance
A youth who believes their rights have been violated can ask the dorm’s designated grievance clerk for a grievance form, write out the complaint and the resolution they want, keep the yellow copy, and drop the white copy in a locked grievance box. No one can require the youth to explain or show the grievance before filing. TJJD is supposed to respond in writing within about two weeks, and the youth can appeal.13Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Youth Complaint and Grievance Guide
For abuse or neglect, youth and families can also call the TJJD hotline at 866-477-8354 or the CPS hotline at 800-252-5400. Retaliation for filing a complaint is prohibited.14Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Youth Complaint and Grievance Guide