Executive Director Camille Cain announced today that the Texas Juvenile Justice Department will temporarily halt all new admissions to its facilities for two weeks, starting today. The decision will remain in effect through April 27, but it could be extended beyond that depending on the circumstances.

The decision is intended as an additional safeguard to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a critical moment in Texas’s response to the pandemic, according to a news release from TJJD.   At this time, no youth in a state facility
has tested positive for the virus.  “Our partnership with the local juvenile probation departments has been essential to limiting the spread of COVID-19,” Cain says. “By working together, we have continued to implement the
best options to keep all of our youth safe.”

To learn more about the agency’s response to the virus, please visit the COVID-19 page on our
website.