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Agency Will Investigate Violence in Texas Youth Prisons

(Brandi Grissom/Texas Tribune)
The independent ombudsman of the state’s juvenile justice system will investigate reports of increased violence among youths in the state’s secure facilities following an in-depth review by The Texas Tribune of youth-on-youth assaults over the last 10 years.

The Tribune reported this month that the rate of reports of youth-on-youth assaults requiring additional action by staff more than tripled from 2007 to 2011, according to data obtained from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department under the Texas Public Information Act. Although the total rate of all assaults reported at the state’s six secure facilities dropped during that time period, the rate of assaults that required additional disciplinary action grew to 54 assaults per 100 youths in 2011 from 17 assaults per 100 youths in 2007. (Full story at the Texas Tribune)

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