Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) is comprised of nine non-salaried members who are appointed by the Governor for staggered six-year terms. Charged with governing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), the TBCJ develops and implements policies that guide TDCJ’s operations. The TBCJ also serves as the school board for the Windham School District.
Appointed by the TBCJ, the executive director is responsible for the day-to-day administration and operation of the TDCJ. The TDCJ is comprised of the following divisions: Administrative Review and Risk Management, Community Justice Assistance, Correctional Institutions, Facilities, General Counsel, Health Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Manufacturing and Logistics, Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight, Parole, Rehabilitation Programs Division, and Victim Services. The departments within the Business and Finance Division report directly to the Chief Financial Officer. In August 2009, the Reentry and Integration Division was created. The division combines the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments (TCOOMMI), Project Re-Integration of Offenders (RIO), and an expanded reentry initiative, to better focus the state’s resources on reducing recidivism and addressing the needs of juvenile and adult offenders.
The State Counsel for Offenders Division, Internal Audit Division, the Office of the Inspector General and the Windham School District report directly to the TBCJ. In 2008, the TBCJ added the position of Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Ombudsman to monitor the Safe Prison Program investigations regarding reports by offenders of sexual assaults and report these findings to the board. Additionally, the PREA Ombudsman responds to inquiries from the families of offenders concerning alleged offender sexual abuse cases and inquiries from the public about these cases.
Among the TDCJ's divisions, the Correctional Institutions Division, Community Justice Assistance Division, Parole Division and the Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division are involved in the everyday confinement and supervision of convicted felons. However the actual supervision of probationers is the responsibility of local community supervision and corrections departments. Victim Services coordinates a central mechanism for crime victims to participate in the criminal justice process. The remaining divisions support the overall operation of the TDCJ.