By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications Books can be powerful things. Books can inform us, educate us, and motivate us. Books can make us curious enough to go around the world or take us there without leaving our home. They can take us into the past, give us …
By Janet Sheelar, Volunteer Services Coordinator, Giddings State School Our Giddings campus hosted a huge Family Day event on Nov. 12, a Thanksgiving barbecue for the youth. Of the youth attending, 43 received family members or volunteer mentors who joined …
TJJD employees at Gainesville State School are mourning the loss of a longtime colleague, David Johnson, a well-respected campus staff member who was known for being a supportive team player. He is fondly remembered as a highly engaged staffer who …
By Tracey Walker, Assistant Principal, Lone Star High School Southeast, Giddings State School The Giddings State School has been having a heck of a football year, with some stops and starts.As you may be aware, students must be doing well on campus ( …
TJJD Communications Last year a few staffers from Alaska’s Division of Juvenile Justice travelled to Texas to observe the Capital and Violent Offender Group program, also known as COG, at Giddings State School. The Alaska team was so impressed with the …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications A lot can happen in 50 years. Changes both globally and locally. Shifts in cultural styles and how we live, and unimaginable leaps in technology. In the face of this, it can seem like fifty years ago we might as well …
Accountant discovers that working at TJJD provides a path to college loan forgiveness By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications Ashley Neamtz was determined to get her business degree and after that, get out from under the compounding debt that her hard- …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications The greatest testimony to the dedicated people who’ve made careers at our secure facilities is the difference they’ve made in the lives of TJJD youth. Today, we take a moment to give a grateful send-off to one of those …
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications Glen Knipstein is having a winning month. Last weekend, a cousin invited him to the UT game against UT-San Antonio. The weather was sunny, the crowd roared, and the Longhorns won. Light up the tower! It was a rust …
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications When service-minded people collaborate, it’s amazing what gets stitched together. In this case, it was stacks of beautiful quilts. Their makers recently delivered these mood-brightening, toe-warming lovingly crafted …
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications Many of our TJJD staffers have wonderful career success stories to tell. They worked for many years at the agency and retired confident that they made a big difference in the lives of countless young people. These …
By Fidel Garcia, Volunteer Resource Coordinator, Evins Regional Juvenile Center Looking back and reminiscing over 35 years of life is quite a task, let alone working those 35 years and more within two state agencies. Tina Saenz, Administrative Assistant to …
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications Dell Computer Corp. reached out to help youth at TJJD this summer, making a generous donation of 40 laptop computers, but contributing an even bigger, especially precious resource -- the time and energy of dozens of …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications With apologies to the bluebonnets, Willie Nelson, and barbeque, nothing is more Texas than football. Two of TJJD’s facilities, Giddings State School and Gainesville State School, have a long-standing tradition of …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications When a valued part of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department community heads off into retirement, it’s always a bittersweet experience. We’re sad to see them go, but grateful for their time and dedication to helping the …
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications It probably won’t shock anyone to learn that TJJD’s Sr. Director of Education, Luther Taliaferro, promotes schooling as a key to success and harmonious reintegration for the young people at TJJD. “The more education …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is always working to recruit new staff for our secure campuses and halfway houses, and the best way to hire driven and dedicated people is to have someone driven and dedicated to …
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department announced pay raises of 15 percent on Friday, July 8, to make TJJD salaries more competitive. This permanent pay raise, effective July 1, 2022, will apply to all direct-care positions. Those are: Youth Development …
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications TJJD staff at secure facilities work hard to help the youth in our care better handle their emotions and interact in positive ways. It’s critical that this work continues as a young person re-joins their community and …
By Janet Sheelar, Community Resource Coordinator, Giddings State School Giddings State School celebrated its students at the 2022 Spring Graduation, which featured a full gowned ceremony, a special speaker and a crowd of parents and teachers eager to …
