TYC receives failing grade, report says

AUSTIN (AP) -- A new report cites that many of the Texas Youth Commission's inmates receive "generally poor" education in the state juvenile prison system.

The Dallas Morning News said the 82-page report on TYC, which houses juvenile offenders, is to be released Wednesday.

The report was assembled by TYC's Office of Independent Ombudsman along with an assistant professor of special education at the University of Texas at Austin.

The report's authors said they "found the instructional practices to be generally poor."

For example, students with limited reading ability were told to read independently. Meanwhile, a sizable number of teachers said they did not feel safe, and some used a lot of classroom time trying to get students under control.

A statement from conservator Richard Nedelkoff said that TYC plans to tackle many of the issues the report highlighted. The statement indicated major changes were in the works.

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