TYC under fire again from lawmakers

AUSTIN (AP) - Some legislators were still frustrated Wednesday by the Texas youth prison system and question whether it will ever regain the public trust.

Sen. John Whitmire of Houston co-chairs the joint Senate and House committee charged with oversight of the Texas Youth Commission.

Whitmire says he doesn't have confidence in anything the agency is doing.

Panel members in Austin were concerned by a report last week from TYC ombudsman Will Harrell. The report said scores of allegations of mistreatment of youth may have been closed without proper investigation.

TYC officials now say that report was based on an old and incomplete database.

An internal follow-up did not find the same problem, although officials are still reviewing the cases. A more complete database should be ready by December.

Allegations of sexual abuse of TYC inmates and a cover-up by agency officials erupted in early 2007.

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