According to the Abilene Reporter News, the Ron Jackson Correctional State Juvenile Complex in Brownwood was the first Texas Youth Commission facility to be audited under the agency’s new accreditation and has scored exceptionally well, officials say.

Executive Commissioner Cherie Townsend visited the  Brownwood facility for the final conference between the auditors and staff.

“The results of the audit are phenomenal,” Townsend said of the Ron Jackson facility. “The staff did an outstanding job.”

The TYC will seek accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation for Corrections through the American Correctional Association.

The three-day audit began Sunday and ended Tuesday, and the results showed that Brownwood TYC passed all of the mandatory requirements 100 percent.

In January, a panel of national commissioners will look over the results of the audit

“They said they really felt that the agency is doing a great job and that the Ron Jackson Correctional Complex in particular has done a great job,” Townsend said. “They set the bar pretty high for everyone else in the state.”

The accreditation process is part of the reforms the TYC has undergone since allegations of abuse came to light in 2007.

There are a total of 12 TYC facilities scheduled for audit in the state.

Townsend visited Brownwood in September and in a presentation to the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce had said, “Part of what we are trying to do is offer kids opportunities through an overall rehabilitation program that will allow them to make changes.  This is part of a transition we are going through now.”

For the complete story, visit the original article at the ReporterNews.com

Photo: File Photo of TYC Executive Commissioner Cherie Townsend