Brownwood News – AUSTIN—Following a directive today from Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department announced that it was postponing in-person visitations at its facilities to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect youth and staff.

The agency understands how important visitation is for both families and children, so to minimize this inconvenience, TJJD staff members are working to expand access to virtual visits and phone calls by increasing the number of tablets available for Skype and designating additional staff to facilitate extra phone calls.  Staff will also be adding minutes to each youth’s account.

The health and well-being of the youth in our care is our highest priority.  TJJD remains in regular contact with the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Office of the Governor, and the Texas Department of Emergency Management, and has been working closely with health officials to monitor the latest developments and take appropriate action.

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Previously, the agency postponed most volunteer access to our facilities as part of our preparedness plan. To compensate for this change, the agency’s volunteer coordinators are working with mentors to connect with youth through options such as Skype and FaceTime.