The Dallas County juvenile detention center allegedly mistreated 11 children, according to court documents, and a state judge is recommending the department prepare to turn records over to county officials.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD) is under investigation by the State of Texas for allegations of child neglect.
The Dallas County Commissioners Court has tried to obtain “observation sheets” from the DCJD on which the whereabouts of children in custody throughout the day are recorded. The DCJD subsequently sued the court, claiming commissioners lacked legal standing to subpoena “confidential information,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
State District Judge Eric Moyé ordered the DCJD to file a status report on the state’s investigation into the allegations of child neglect. He previously said he needed more information on the state’s investigation to rule on whether the Commissioner’s Court is justified in subpoenaing records from the DCJD.
The filing revealed that the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s (TJJD) Office of Inspector General is probing the DCJD for allegedly neglecting 11 children in custody, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Following the report, a court hearing was held on Wednesday, during which Judge Moyé asked DCJD lawyers how the Commissioners Court’s subpoena would affect the state’s investigation. He concluded there would be no conflict.
Moyé ordered the DCJD to provide the requested observation sheets to the commissioners. DCJD attorney Brian Hail claimed redacting personal information from the documents would be an excessively long process.
The state’s investigation focuses on the 10-day period — from April 14 to April 23 this year. The Commissioners Court is asking for documents that span more than three months — from January 1 to April 4.
“The manpower or personnel required to do that would be pulled off if the court ordered it and yet we have two state investigations going on that have to be complied with,” he said, per the DMN.
Moyé said the attorneys should have already advised the DCJD to begin preparing the documents to be given to commissioners.
“I would expect that you would have told your client, ‘You all need to get busy putting these records out because the judge … he will not look kindly on my going to him and saying, ‘Well judge, we’re just going to start getting these documents squared away and redacted tomorrow,’ when y’all knew that this was possibly coming for at least three weeks now,” he said.
Attorney Jennifer Richards, who is representing the Commissioners Court, said that the work required to redact the documents should not stop the DCJD from turning them over to the commissioners. She noted that the dates being investigated by the state do not overlap with those being investigated by the Commissioners Court.
DCJD staff said the investigation could take another 45 or 60 days, according to the DMN.
Commissioners have previously said they want to use the records to help them determine how many guard positions should be funded at the detention center. A new county budget must be passed before the new fiscal year begins on October 1. Richards noted during Wednesday’s hearing that another 45 to 60 days goes beyond October 1.
TJJD spokesperson Barbara Kessler told the DMN in an email that state investigators will refer the case to local law enforcement if criminal activity is uncovered. According to Kessler, the state may also suspend the licenses of staff who are identified as suspects.
“If a county juvenile probation department refused to make needed changes resulting from a TJJD investigation, the state could take further action that could include pulling the facility’s certification or suspending state funds,” she added.
The Dallas Express reached out to DCJD officials for comment but received no response by press time.