Sunset Commission deciding TYC's fate

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The senators and representatives who make up the Sunset Advisory Commission heard from their staff members about why they should disintegrate the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and form a new agency that would handle all juvenile justice issues.

"Maintaining two agencies to serve juvenile justice in Texas just didn't add up to us," said Ginny McKay, the Sunset Commission's supervisor who contributed to the recommendation report. "We felt there was an awful lot that could be benefited from merging those two agencies."

However, dozens of probation officers and youth workers also showed up to the meeting in disagreement. The probation commission said being combined with the TYC would be like being tied to a sinking ship.

"Money follows the worst case," said former probation officer Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio. "That is the TYC. It's not fair to punish the probation commission for the lack of the TYC."

The sunset staff contends that combining the agencies will create more efficiency and better communication, so that troubled youth can be followed throughout the process instead of getting lost between one agency and another. Those who have been working with the youth say getting the government more involved and creating a larger agency would lead to more politics and less real help for the children and communities involved.

"Anytime you're trying to restructure something, tremendous energy must go into the restructure process," said Isela Gutierrez with the Juvenile Justice Initiative. "That's energy that can't be spent on the kids, their treatment and what kind of quality of care they're getting."

The commission has until Jan. 14 to make a decision.