It seems like any time the topic of juvenile justice comes up, the subject of the conversation is always someone’s son, grandson, nephew, or another boy. Consequentially, it has become second nature to refer to juvenile respondents in general using male pronouns.
While it’s true that the majority of Texas preteens and teens referred to juvenile courts are boys, girls are referred regularly as well. With conversations that tend to center around what happens throughout the process generalized through the lens of what happens to boys, it’s no wonder parents, guardians, and loved ones navigating this process with a girl are confused and frustrated by the lack of available information.
In this article, Board Certified Juvenile Lawyer, Lisa Herrick, explains many of the ways the Texas juvenile justice system is different for girls, and what family members can expect for their girl as they navigate the Texas juvenile justice system.
Approximately half the juvenile population is female. To be more specific, the 2023 census identified 48.8 percent of the population of Texans aged 10 to 16 as female. However, 2023 records show that only approximately 30 percent of referrals to juvenile justice departments across Texas were girls. Also significant is the fact that girls who were referred to juvenile departments were much less likely to be referred for felony conduct or any level of violent or weapons-involved conduct. The offenses for which girls were most likely to be referred were misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury (girls made up 41% of referrals), misdemeanor level theft (girls made up 46% of
referrals), and runaway (girls made up 57% of referrals).
These lower-level offenses mean it is more likely for girls to be diverted out of the Texas juvenile justice system without having to go into detention or through the court process. The lower number of girls going through the process means fewer conversations, less information, and greater mystery regarding what, if any, differences may exist for juvenile justice involved girls. The good news is the information is out there, if you just know where to look!
In particular, families and loved ones of a juvenile girl may feel concerned upon learning she has been taken to a juvenile detention center. They may wonder things like: Will she be housed with boys? Will male guards supervise her? What clothing will she be required to change into? Will she be provided appropriate hygiene products?
Texas Juvenile Detention Centers for Girls
The Texas Legislature has gone to great lengths to outline the strict regulations to which juvenile detention centers must adhere, and these questions specifically are addressed in the Texas Administrative Code, Section 343.
In a detention facility, a girl will get a room of her own in a girls wing, unit, or pod of the facility. There, she will share a bathroom only with other girls. She will be provided a gender-neutral uniform and basic hygiene items. She may be combined with male residents at different points in the day, but for the most part, the girls unit stays together and the boys unit stays together.
Male guards may be employed at the facility if there are also boys housed there, but at no time will a male guard ever supervise showers, clothing change, or personal hygiene practices of a female resident. Additionally, if a pat-down or strip search must be conducted, it will be conducted by a female staff member in private.
As the process continues, and the child is assigned an intake or pre-trial supervision officer of the juvenile probation department, the family of a girl child may wonder if she is guaranteed to be supervised by a female officer. Simply put, the answer is no. Both male and female probation officers may be employed and there are no legal restrictions of supervision by gender. The same is generally true for post-adjudication probation officers.
For those cases involving juvenile girls that go on through the court process, the majority of them are disposed by either pre-adjudication or post-adjudication probation supervision. For the most part, the available programs and services available to the juvenile probation department will be geared toward boys and girls or there are commonly programs and services that are limited to boys only.
Few jurisdictions have specialized programs and services designed for girls only. Usually, the larger counties are able to provide some services or programs for girls, with the smaller counties having fewer options. Interestingly, one of the largest counties in Texas, Tarrant County, seems to offer only one program that would be specifically geared toward girls; a program called SafeDate, a domestic violence awareness and prevention course. A notable example of a county that offers a great girl-specific option is the
. It stands for Girls Empowerment, Mentoring, and Support and is meant to address the unique needs of girls with mental health challenges and/or have a history of trauma or abuse.
Though it is not common for girls to be referred for serious felonies or violent or weapons- involved conduct, it does happen. Therefore, included in the possible consequences for those girls is residential placement or even confinement in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, otherwise known as the prison for juveniles.
One of the few Administrative Code regulations specifically designed to benefit girls who are confined in any level detention facility provides the guarantee that girls will receive any necessary pre-natal, obstetric and specialized-obstetric, and post-partum care. As heartbreaking as it is to anticipate managing a pregnant teen in a juvenile correctional facility, it is comforting to know there is a plan in place.
A residential placement facility is a secure facility (in other words, it is locked down), not including TJJD. Residential placement may be ordered as a condition of probation, whether the probation is under indeterminate sentencing or determinate sentencing. Residential placement is typically ordered when a child has evidenced a higher need than the juvenile probation department can offer in the community. The child’s need may be based on mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, or another specialized need like sex-offender treatment. Every Texas county or geographical area differs in its access to residential placement facilities and, disappointingly, most areas have very limited options for placement facilities for girls.
It is not uncommon for a facility to disqualify a girl for treatment due to her juvenile history, advanced mental health needs, or other circumstances. Some juvenile departments may contract with private facilities, but even those options may be limited for girls. Something parents and families may consider is the possibility of residential placement is looking likely is to arrange for voluntary placement at a facility. The family may have more options available by arranging for
it independently, rather than waiting for the juvenile department to attempt to find a location.
Confinement at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (also sometimes referred to as the prison for kids), is the highest punishment option available to the juvenile courts. It is regularly reserved for those juveniles who have been adjudicated of felony conduct that is unusually violent or unusually serious or who have exhausted all other options available in the Texas juvenile justice system.
Of the total number of children referred to juvenile departments each year, only an average of one percent of those children are ultimately sentenced to confinement at TJJD. This number includes boys and girls. Of that total number, only an average of 10 percent are girls. In 2021, 58 girls were sentenced to confinement at TJJD, compared to 514 boys sentenced the same year. Because the number of girls confined at TJJD is typically very low, only one of the 5 TJJD locations houses girls, and the girls are housed in a separate area of the facility. Currently, the facility girls are sent to is the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart, Texas.
Speak to a Board Certified Juvenile Attorney
If you’re looking for a juvenile defense attorney, you are at the right place. Lisa Herrick is Board Certified in Juvenile Law – which means she is considered an expert in juvenile law. You will be hard-pressed to find another juvenile lawyer in North Texas with her expertise and legal acumen.
Lisa has successfully handled every type of juvenile case, ranging from theft to capital murder. She has vast knowledge of the juvenile court system, the process, and how to best help and protect your child. Contact Lisa today for a free consultation at 817-203-2220. If your child is in custody, time is of the essence.
- The article relied heavily on statistics and record keeping provided by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.