Texas Youth Commission: a living hell
Brandon Biegert
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Opinion
I never thought I would be writing a column comparing The State of Texas with the Catholic Church, but I guess if the shoe fits.
The similarity has to do with the way those within the organizations who prey on children are dealt with.
For years now we have heard about instances of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, and how the church hierarchy has shielded them from prosecution by transferring them overseas.
Now it seems that the Texas Youth Commission, the Texas equivalent of the California Youth Authority, has been covering up hundreds of instances of sexual abuse for years.
The main difference between the two organizations is that, while the Catholic Church asks its members to give money and uses it to shield pedophiles, Texas demands tax dollars, which are then used to fund an organization that has shielded pedophiles.
The way it worked, in many cases, is that youths would be locked up and told by the counselors that they could either submit to sexual abuse or have their sentences extended.
Often these threats were made reality, with those who refused beaten and kept for additional years.
Over the last few years many counselors who were caught were quietly dismissed, escaping prosecution, presumably to prevent the situation from hitting the news media.
In fact, one senior official of the organization who knew about what was going on was dismissed and went on to become the superintendent of many schools in Texas.
The parents of the children in these schools were unaware of his past transgressions, because the situation was kept quiet.
Now that this is hitting the news the Texas government is scrambling to show just how furious they are about the situation, conducting investigations and throwing out leadership.
Under pressure, the commission is even allowing some of the inmates to relate their experiences to the press. I read a few and another similarity arose in my mind.
The Catholic Church talks about how, if one is bad, they will wind up in Hell for all eternity. Texas, apparently, has been attempting to make this concept a reality by locking away youths who commit crimes in what must seem like Hell.
One story involves a kid who was locked up as a teenager, raped by a guard, thrown in a cell by another guard to be raped by an inmate. When he attempted to report the abuse, he was transferred to another facility, where staff spread rumors that he was a racist, resulting in repeated beatings by other inmates.
Now that this is hitting the news, there is hope for reform. The only way that justice can be done is for every staff member, past and present, who participated in this type of lunacy, to be tracked down and locked up.
Unfortunately, it is more likely that just enough will be done to show that the Texas government is horrified. The moment that message is received, the story will fade, and so will efforts at catching and prosecuting these people.
If there is one lesson that should be learned from this, it is that no government organization should be shielded from public scrutiny. Such "protection," is simply a recipe for Hell on earth.
The similarity has to do with the way those within the organizations who prey on children are dealt with.
For years now we have heard about instances of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, and how the church hierarchy has shielded them from prosecution by transferring them overseas.
Now it seems that the Texas Youth Commission, the Texas equivalent of the California Youth Authority, has been covering up hundreds of instances of sexual abuse for years.
The main difference between the two organizations is that, while the Catholic Church asks its members to give money and uses it to shield pedophiles, Texas demands tax dollars, which are then used to fund an organization that has shielded pedophiles.
The way it worked, in many cases, is that youths would be locked up and told by the counselors that they could either submit to sexual abuse or have their sentences extended.
Often these threats were made reality, with those who refused beaten and kept for additional years.
Over the last few years many counselors who were caught were quietly dismissed, escaping prosecution, presumably to prevent the situation from hitting the news media.
In fact, one senior official of the organization who knew about what was going on was dismissed and went on to become the superintendent of many schools in Texas.
The parents of the children in these schools were unaware of his past transgressions, because the situation was kept quiet.
Now that this is hitting the news the Texas government is scrambling to show just how furious they are about the situation, conducting investigations and throwing out leadership.
Under pressure, the commission is even allowing some of the inmates to relate their experiences to the press. I read a few and another similarity arose in my mind.
The Catholic Church talks about how, if one is bad, they will wind up in Hell for all eternity. Texas, apparently, has been attempting to make this concept a reality by locking away youths who commit crimes in what must seem like Hell.
One story involves a kid who was locked up as a teenager, raped by a guard, thrown in a cell by another guard to be raped by an inmate. When he attempted to report the abuse, he was transferred to another facility, where staff spread rumors that he was a racist, resulting in repeated beatings by other inmates.
Now that this is hitting the news, there is hope for reform. The only way that justice can be done is for every staff member, past and present, who participated in this type of lunacy, to be tracked down and locked up.
Unfortunately, it is more likely that just enough will be done to show that the Texas government is horrified. The moment that message is received, the story will fade, and so will efforts at catching and prosecuting these people.
If there is one lesson that should be learned from this, it is that no government organization should be shielded from public scrutiny. Such "protection," is simply a recipe for Hell on earth.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Rebecca Gonzales
posted 3/24/07 @ 5:18 AM PST
My son was giving a 9 month sentence and it was extended 3 months longer. He should have been out by March 9, 2007. I am a parent who filed a complaint against a staff member for physically assaulting my son and this investigation came back as true. (Continued…)
collins giron jr
posted 5/24/07 @ 4:49 AM PST
My son was placed in tyc for one year and received dental work from a dentist that the tyc system used. My son received 16 fillings in one afternoon. He went to see about getting two front teeth straightened. (Continued…)
Dcollegedropout
posted 9/18/07 @ 10:59 AM PST
This story was very informative and interesting. Good job on this article. It reminded me of why I never want to live in Texas. Great job again.
russian girlfriend
posted 3/21/10 @ 7:23 AM PST
I thought this debate was about them, as opposed to featuring them. Whoops.
Lois Neill
posted 7/29/10 @ 4:31 PM PST
I just found out that my son was raped by another inmate while at the Gainesville TYC. A criminal investigation is going on and the police were called. (Continued…)
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