Feds Knew About TYC and Did Nothing
Dallas - For four years, U.S. Justice Department attorneys heard the horror stories: Inmates in Texas juvenile prisons were being beaten and molested by the people who were supposed to protect them. Federal watchdogs discreetly collected information and discussed fine legal points as the assaults piled up. More than 2,000 allegations of staff abusing inmates were confirmed by the Texas Youth Commission from January 2003 to December 2006. The Justice Department ultimately declined to prosecute anyone at TYC or do anything to compel agency-wide reforms. Attorneys said they were constrained by narrowly drawn laws and insufficient evidence. But there was also a political climate at Justice that discouraged prosecution of official misconduct cases, former department attorneys said. The lack of federal action against TYC left oversight to state officials who had looked the other way as administrators used threats of longer sentences or the promise of college assistance to have sex with young prisoners. Feds knew about TYC abuse cases
Justice Department didn't act, citing lack of evidence; critics say politics played a part 09:52 AM CDT on Sunday, August 5, 2007
The Dallas News
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