The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) met Feb. 6, 2008, in Austin for its first strategic planning session in the Commission's 33-year history. This session was part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the Jail Commission is not only meeting its statutory responsibilities and fulfilling its mission, but also providing the best possible service to the citizens of the … [Read more...] about TCJS Conducts First-Ever Strategy Session
Jails
Jail Commission Adopts Changes
Commission Adopts Changes The Texas Commission on Jail Standards adopted two changes at its Nov. 1 meeting, said Brandon S. Wood, assistant director with the Commission. The mental history check was modified so that facilities housing only federal inmates will no longer be required to perform the check, and the term "offender" was changed to "inmate" to better reflect … [Read more...] about Jail Commission Adopts Changes
Texas County Jails: Current Events
County Progress asked Adan Munoz, executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), to address some of the relevant issues facing county jails. Q: With no new prisons in almost 10 years, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) units are once again overflowing. What needs to be done to prevent a backlog of state inmates in county jails? A: County … [Read more...] about Texas County Jails: Current Events
Texas Commission on Jail Standards Suicide/Mental Health Screening Form
The Commission on Jail Standards has implemented a new suicide/mental health screening form for use in all county jails. The new form is still one page and has been updated to remove awkward questions, to add questions intended to identify mental retardation, and to clean up portions of the form following feedback from the jails. The Jail Mental Disability/Suicide Intake … [Read more...] about Texas Commission on Jail Standards Suicide/Mental Health Screening Form
Federal Study Cites Mental Health Issues Among Inmates
The report was written by BJS statisticians Doris J. James and Lauren E. Glaze and can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/mhppji.htm. Additional information about BJS statistical reports a … [Read more...] about Federal Study Cites Mental Health Issues Among Inmates