New Data Confirms Chronic Staffing Problems in Texas Youth Prisons Perpetuate Unsafe Environment for Children

AUSTIN, Texas — A new report from Texas Appleseed confirms that unsafe conditions persist inside the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s (TJJD) five state secure facilities, driven by chronic staffing shortages and high staff turnover. Two years after a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation found the facilities exposed youth to unconstitutional harm, the report demonstrates that these issues remain largely unresolved. 

Behind the Concrete Walls: Uncovering Conditions in Texas’ Five Youth Prisons compiles publicly available data, original research, and firsthand accounts from youth, parents, and one former secure facility staff member to illustrate a system that routinely fails to rehabilitate youth and cultivates a harmful environment. 

“This new data is not surprising based on years of evidence that our juvenile justice system is deeply broken and can often exacerbate behavioral problems for youth,” said Brett Merfish, Director of Youth Justice at Texas Appleseed. “When will conditions improve for these youth with such overwhelming evidence of the facilities’ failures? It’s well past time that we move away from our overreliance on large, remotely located facilities to house children committed to TJJD.”

TJJD has the highest staff turnover rates of any Texas state agency. From fiscal year (FY) 2019 to 2025, turnover rates for juvenile correctional officers (JCOs) increased in all five facilities, and vacancy rates increased in all but one facility. In FY 2025, TJJD reported a turnover rate of 69% for juvenile correctional officers, 30% for case managers, 14% for mental health providers, and 18% for education staff. The number of JCOs with more than three years of experience has declined significantly, impacting the quality and delivery of services, as well as the safety of staff and youth.

This understaffing is dangerous for the majority of youth in TJJD who have extensive trauma histories and mental health needs. The number of youth admitted with moderate or high mental health needs increased from FY 2013 to FY 2023 by 130%, so the capacity to provide adequate mental health care consistently is more important than ever. While TJJD does not currently provide data regarding the mental health care children receive in facilities, Texas Appleseed found that the number of suicide assessments increased substantially in calendar years (CY) 2024 and 2025. The percentage of youth prescribed psychotropic medications also increased between CY 2024 and CY 2025, going from 66% of youth to 89% of youth.

The report also calls attention to a concerning rise in violence in TJJD facilities. Although the number of individual youth subjected to use of force, including mechanical restraints and pepper spray, appears to have decreased in CY 2024 and CY 2025, the total number of use of force incidents has risen sharply, which indicates that force is being applied repeatedly to the same youth more frequently. Staff-on-youth assaults, which is physical abuse, steadily increased each year from CY 2022 to CY 2024. 

Inadequate staffing levels also results in education programming being frequently restricted. The number of scheduled school days with programming restrictions increased in both CY 2024 and CY 2025, even though the 2025 figures represent only a partial year. As of May 2026, TJJD acknowledged that youth in its facilities are seven grade levels behind in their reading and math skills, and these disrupted school days will likely exacerbate this disparity.

The systemic understaffing that plagues TJJD has severe consequences for the hundreds of youth it serves. This vulnerable population of children entrusted to state care experiences high rates of violence, regular mental health distress, and inconsistent educational programming that negatively impact their rehabilitation. Given these chronic failures, the best way for Texas to address these problems is to continue to divert youth from commitment to TJJD and stop the continued investment in a failed system.

About Texas Appleseed
Texas Appleseed is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy and advocacy organization. As one of the most trusted resources for data-driven policy analysis and solutions, Texas Appleseed advocates at the Legislature and locally for fair, just, and equitable laws. Find our mission here, a timeline of our history, and visit www.TexasAppleseed.org for more information.

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