North Texas may soon feel the effects of new teen rehabilitation measures.

In a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott released Friday, June 1, Camille Cain, executive director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), announced her intentions for improving the state’s justice system for minors. Her plan includes ten short-term solutions and a six-part long-term model.

According to Cain’s statement, meeting these goals will create better environments for youths in the program. She wrote that, based off research she conducted, her proposed reformation should cause the number of convictions to drop.

Cain’s plan, if adopted, will have ramifications for North Texas along with the rest of the state.

“Collin County is part of the TJJD, so we will be impacted by these new measures,” said H. Lynn Hadnot, director of Collin County Juvenile Probation Services. “We definitely try to operate under those guidelines and will try to utilize those resources.”

The juvenile justice system in Texas has faced multiple legal charges in the past. One of the most recent reports occurred in December 2017, when Gov. Abbott sent the Texas Rangers to investigate sexual misconduct allegations within the system. Cain was appointed as executive director of the TJJD a month later, with a request to propose solutions for revamping the department.

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Morgan Howard • [email protected]