TITLE 37.PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS

Part 3. TEXAS YOUTH COMMISSION

Chapter 85. ADMISSION AND PLACEMENT

Subchapter A. COMMITMENT AND RECEPTION

37 TAC §85.3

The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) proposes an amendment to §85.3, concerning Admission Process. The amendment will change the time and days on which the Marlin Orientation and Assessment Unit will receive youth committed to TYC; and establish the requirement that the youths parents are notified that chemical agents will be used as necessary to control conduct that meets certain criteria.

Terry Graham, Assistant Deputy Executive Director for Financial Support, has determined that for the first five-year period the section is in effect there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of enforcing or administering the section.

Mr. Graham also has determined that for each year of the first five years the section is in effect the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the section will be more efficient government. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the section as proposed. No private real property rights are affected by adoption of this rule.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Gail Graham, Policy and Manuals Manager, Texas Youth Commission, 4900 North Lamar, P.O. Box 4260, Austin, Texas 78765.

The amendment is proposed under the Human Resources Code, §61.0385 concerning crisis intervention and assessment Centers which provides the Texas Youth Commission authority to establish and operate an assessment center.

The proposed rule implements the Human Resource Code, §61.034 concerning policies and rules which gives TYC the authority to make rules appropriate to the proper accomplishment of its functions.

§85.3.Admission Process.

(a)

Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish the location and protocol whereby youth committed to the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) are received into the custody of the agency.

(b)

Intake activities, including receipt of the youth from the committing county shall be performed by the TYC diagnostic intake unit, Marlin Orientation and Assessment Unit located at Marlin, Texas.

(c)

The Marlin Orientation and Assessment Unit in Marlin, Texas receives youth committed to TYC between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. [ 5 p.m. on ] Monday through Friday [ and Tuesday unless prior arrangements have been made, and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ].

(d)

Youth are not allowed to have personal possessions while at the assessment unit. Personal items are inventoried and returned to the county transporter. The transporter and youth are asked to sign an inventory/receipt for property items returned to the transporter's care. Items a youth may be allowed to keep are inventoried on the Personal Property and Clothing Inventory form, CCF-510, and a copy is given to the youth.

(e)

Parents are notified:

(1)

of youth's admission;

(2)

of TYC's medical consent authority;

(3)

of procedures for mail and visits; and

(4)

that TYC will use chemical agents as necessary to control conduct if certain behavior criteria is met.

[ (e)

Parents are notified of youth's admission and TYC's medical consent authority and are advised of procedures for mail and visits.]

(f)

Orientation to the admissions process and the TYC system is provided and documented as required in (GAP) §91.15 of this title (relating to Youth Orientation).

(g)

Routine admission procedures include, but are not limited to the following.

(1)

Each youth and his possessions are searched.

(2)

Youth property, if any, is inventoried.

(3)

A body identification form is completed, each youth showers, is screened for pediculosis, and receives treatment if indicated.

(4)

Initial health screening is performed for each youth.

(5)

Clothing is issued.

(6)

Personal hygiene articles are made available as needed.

(7)

Each youth may be photographed and fingerprinted. The photograph and fingerprints are filed in the youth's masterfile.

(8)

Intake staff assigns each youth an official TYC registration number.

(9)

Initiation of sex offender registration with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), as required by law.

(10)

A youth is required to provide a blood sample for the DPS DNA database if the youth:

(A)

has a conviction or adjudication for murder, aggravated assault, burglary of a habitation, or any offense for which the youth must register as a sex offender; or

(B)

is ordered by the juvenile court to provide a sample.

(h)

In addition to assessment and placement activities, counseling, and academic education is provided.

(i)

TYC staff transports youth to their initial placements and notifies the families, the parole officer, committing court, prosecuting attorney, chief probation officer, and others as needed of the placement location.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on June 6, 2000.

TRD-200003980

Steve Robinson

Executive Director

Texas Youth Commission

Earliest possible date of adoption: July 23, 2000

For further information, please call: (512) 424-6244