GUILTY TX - Superintendent Ray Brookins for sex abuse of juvenile inmates, Pyote, 2005

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REGIONAL >Local >State >National >World >Education >Updated
Story last updated at 12:40 a.m. Monday, February 19, 2007
Officials at Texas juvenile prison accused of molesting inmates
ASSOCIATED PRESS


DALLAS (AP) - An internal investigation by the Texas Youth Commission accused high-ranking officials at an isolated state juvenile prison of molesting young male inmates, according to a copy of the report released to The Dallas Morning News.

The West Texas State School, located between Midland and Pecos in rural Pyote, houses 250 male inmates. Reports say many prison staffers there complained about the abuse to their immediate bosses and to officials in Austin, but for more than a year, no one in charge did anything to stop it. No one has been prosecuted in the case.

Some say similar problems afflict many prisons run by the Texas Youth Commission.

"The TYC has established a dynasty of corruption that condones the mistreatment of youth in its care," Randal Chance, a retired inspector general for the agency, said in a story in Sunday's edition of The News. "Staff are being paid your tax money to rape your children."

Agency officials were stunned when they learned the Texas Rangers had substantiated charges of abuse at the Pyote facility in 2005, according to TYC Executive Director Dwight Harris.

"Quite frankly, it was a shock and a surprise to us that this could ever happen," Harris said.

However, an internal investigation, "Summary Report for Administrative Review," released last week to the newspaper, said that a West Texas caseworker raised the issue in a letter to Harris five months before the Rangers' investigation.

"There are definitely places where we had opportunities we missed," said Tim Savoy, TYC spokesman. "We regret doing that."


The report released to the newspaper said the abuse stemmed from a culture in which prison officials could abuse their power, punish children who tried to complain about them and reward those who gave them sexual favors.

The investigation alleged the former principal of the school lured inmates into sexual acts with offers or birthday cake and promises of help getting into college. The former assistant superintendent was accused of sexual contact with several youths.

The investigation found that the men kept the inmates silent by threatening to lengthen their sentences.

A year of quiet complaints within the TYC led to a Texas Ranger launching an investigation in February 2005, but the situation didn't receive much notice until recently when news organizations and state legislators began asking questions.

Ray Brookins, former assistant superintendent at Pyote, and John Paul Hernandez, former principal, both resigned their jobs in 2005 in lieu of termination.

Brookins, 41, who lives in Austin, declined to comment. Hernandez, also 41, asked if he committed the acts described in the reports, said, "Oh, absolutely not." He declined further comment on the advice of his lawyer.

Hernandez was the principal of the Richard Milburn Academy, a charter school in Midland until last week. On Thursday, he was placed on paid leave pending an investigation.

The top official at the Pyote facility for much of the time under investigation was Lemuel "Chip" Harrison, the superintendent. TYC's inspector general said Harrison received repeated reports of wrongdoing, but those reports were "not properly reported and not addressed with documented supervisory intervention by Mr. Harrison."

He was put on probation for 90 days as a result, but was subsequently promoted to director of juvenile corrections for TYC.

He told the newspaper that he had not seen the TYC report, but, "I don't know of anybody who ever covered up anything."

The cases involving Brookins and Hernandez were referred to federal authorities, who did not prosecute. However, Ward County District Attorney Randall Reynolds said recently that the state cases involving Brookins and Hernandez are pending. He wouldn't say if he would present them to a grand jury.

TYC houses the offenders, ages 10 to 21, who are considered the most dangerous, incorrigible or chronic.

Since 2000, more than 90 employees at TYC facilities - some of them contractors - have been disciplined or fired for sexual misconduct with inmates.

Chance, the retired inspector general, has written a book on TYC, called "Raped by the State". He said cover-ups are common in the agency.

"It's widespread," he said, "and management knows about it."

But Harris defended the agency.

"TYC is a haven for committed, dedicated employees who work 12-hour shifts and put their lives on the line," he said.

State Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has introduced a bill that would provide greater oversight of TYC. His bill would let the Texas Rangers make unannounced visits to each TYC prison at least once a month.

The bill would also reinforce the TYC's investigative force.

"They have some real serious problems," he said.
 
Prison rape blows my mind. I did a lot of research on PR a few months back and it sure was an eye opener. It is so common in many prisons and county jails. I already knew it was before beginning my research so I wasn't shocked per se. Sometimes even male guards get gang raped when they do solo patrols through these jails and prisons. This site has a lot of testimonies from inmates who have been assaulted.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/prison/
 
Teen Inmate's Sex Abuse Trial Begins
Published : Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010, 12:04 PM CDT
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press Writer


ray-bookins_20100420120338_320_240.JPG

Ray Brookins, the former assistant superintendent at the Texas Youth Commission's West Texas State School, is being tried in Odessa on charges alleging he sexually assaulted young inmates.

ODESSA, Texas - A former Texas juvenile jail administrator accused of sexually abusing a teenage inmate looked for a victim no one would believe, a state prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday.

Ray Brookins, the former assistant superintendent at the Texas Youth Commission's West Texas State School, is being tried in Odessa on charges alleging he sexually assaulted young inmates.

"The perfect predator looks for a victim no one will believe," Assistant Attorney General Ralph Guerrero said told jurors in his opening statement. "He picked the wrong victim."

Brookins' lawyer, Bob Garcia Jr., countered in his opening statements that the case hinges on the word of a one-time juvenile inmate who's now jailed in state prison.

Brookins is was indicted in 2007 on charges alleging he had sexual contact with at least one male inmate. His lawyer, Bob Garcia Jr., has repeatedly declined to discuss the case.

A jury of seven men and five women was selected Monday.

Brookins faces two counts of improper sexual activity with a person in custody and two counts of improper relationship between an educator and a student.

Lt. Brian Burzynski, a Texas Ranger who initially investigated the allegations in 2005, said Tuesday he was doubtful of a tip about rampant sexual abuses at the remote jail until speaking with the victim.

"(The victim) was specific in what he described," Burzynski said of the victim's statement. He added that the specific descriptions from the victim added to his credibility.

Brookins and former principal John Paul Hernandez were first investigated by the Texas Rangers in 2005. A trial date has not been set for Hernandez, who also pleaded not guilty.

A detailed report from Texas Rangers investigators, which wasn't acted upon for two years, said Brookins and Hernandez summoned inmates from their dorms late at night to vacant conference rooms, offices and ball fields for sex over a span of at least two years.

Investigators described late-night encounters involving oral sex, masturbation and pornographic videos. Some of the teen inmates, investigators say, were also threatened with retaliation. In all, authorities believe at least 13 boys were sexually abused.

An internal investigation revealed that several employees at the Pyote jail complained to their bosses or other TYC officials, but that the complaints were largely ignored. Brookins and Hernandez were allowed to quietly resign amid the Rangers' investigation.

The allegations became public in 2007 when the Rangers report was brought to the attention of lawmakers in Austin and prompted an outcry from legislators and parents of TYC inmates.

Widespread allegations of abuses and inmates being held beyond their sentences at TYC jails across the state quickly emerged, and state officials launched an agency-wide probe aimed at rooting out problem employees.

TYC's top two administrators lost their jobs. The investigation also led to the release of at least 550 inmates who had completed their minimum sentences and hadn't caused trouble behind bars. The West Texas state school is set to close later this year.

Ward County District Attorney Randall W. "Randy" Reynolds was accused of failing to act on the 2005 report, and the case was taken over by state Attorney General Greg Abbott's office. Abbott promised swift justice. But the cases stalled in the court system.

Last year, Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said prosecutors had repeatedly asked for trial dates but the requests went unanswered.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/042010-Teen-Inmate's-Sex-Abuse-Trial-Begins
 
Teen Inmate's Sex Abuse Trial Begins
Published : Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010, 12:04 PM CDT
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press Writer


ray-bookins_20100420120338_320_240.JPG

Ray Brookins, the former assistant superintendent at the Texas Youth Commission's West Texas State School, is being tried in Odessa on charges alleging he sexually assaulted young inmates.



http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/042010-Teen-Inmate's-Sex-Abuse-Trial-Begins

'teen inmates sex abuse trial begins'

wow what a misleading headline
 
btw if its 10-2 after only 40 minutes i think they willl come to a verdict.
 
From April 2010:

http://www.newswest9.com/story/12366417/former-tyc-administrator-sentenced-to-prison-time

A former juvenile jail administrator convicted of sexually abusing a teenage inmate has received his sentence from an Odessa jury.

Ray Brookins was sentenced to 24 years total for all four counts, but since the sentences will run concurrently, he will serve a maximum of 10 years.

On Thursday, the jury convicted him of two counts each of having an improper sexual activity with a person in custody and having an improper relationship between an educator and student.
 

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