EMAIL SENT TO MEMBERS OF THE SUNSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE

***The Sunset Advisory Commission is an agency of the Texas Legislature that evaluates state agencies and makes recommendations to the legislature on the need for, performance of, and improvements to agencies under review.***

As a member of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, we are reaching out and imploring you to look into the issues related to the treatment and care of the men at the Texas Civil Commitment Center in Littlefield, Texas. You can check out our website at https://littlefieldtccc.com/. We know that there is a fear and negative perception around sex offenders with the public as a whole. These men served their full sentences handed down by a jury of their peers and a judge. They are locked up for crimes they MIGHT commit.  

This article posted on our website is from the Houston Chronicle: https://littlefieldtccc.com/2021/02/13/left-to-die-therapists-say-texas-sex-offender-treatment-program-too-often-fails-on-purpose/. Please read it to understand more about how this program is a miserable failure and being led and governed by victims who are biased.

We have also gained over 3200 signatures in support for our efforts to shut down this for-profit, shadow prison. Here is the link to our petition at change.org: http://chng.it/7PFGxLWT. 

Look at the sheer number of “residents” (inmates) that have left the program successfully. In the TCCO (Texas Civil Commitment Office) Board Minutes from October 11, 2019, numbers are mentioned. “To date there have been seven clients who have been totally released from civil commitment because they were found to no longer have a behavior abnormality.” At that time, the total inmates were at “347 at the Texas Civil Commitment Center in Littlefield”. In a TOTAL of a little over four years, a little over 48 months, a little over 1460 days, a little over 35,040 hours of “treatment”, this facility has a 2% success rate. Two percent success rate and 98% FAILURE!! It is now going on two years later as we head into this 87^th legislative session, and elected representatives and senators have an obligation to their constituents and to the men of Littlefield to fix this “treatment” center that is really a money-making SHADOW PRISON. This failing agency continues to suck MILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the state to house these inmates. They’re not supposed to be in prison, but they are locked in their buildings. More than half are made to wear ankle monitors, monitors they are made to pay for, while behind five locked doors, a crash gate and razor wire. They can’t even leave a room without permission. This is a prison. 

Everyone involved with this shameful and virtual life sentence is responding to two things here: fear mongering of one type of crime and money making off mass incarceration. You don’t civilly commit any other individual for any other crimes that have served their time in prison. The state is dedicating tens and tens of millions of dollars to locking up men that have served their time. Did anyone measure the success of the outpatient program that was being done before moving to life sentences in the shadow prison? 

Has there ever been an external review of TCCC and TCCO? Who is holding MTC and TCCO responsible for quality of care? The food is sub-par; the medical care is non-existent; the therapy is fragmented and inconsistent; case managers with no therapeutic or counseling training determine if residents move Tiers; polygraphs are used to determine if men are moved Tiers and are not even admissible in courts of law but allowed in this program.

For the sake of the human condition, I implore you to investigate this like you would any other cause that is important to you personally. Talk to the men about health care and medications. Talk to them about paying 33% on top of all gifts and income that have already been taxed. Talk to them about paying for an ankle monitor in a LOCKED facility. Talk to them about their hopes of getting out. Talk to them about how they have progressed and how long they have been there. Ask them how many times they’ve been told the “Program” is being revamped so they have to start again with new books and all new materials BUT…if they happened to save copies of their completed work in the “old” program (the one they have been working on) their therapist should give them credit for work they’ve completed. This is one of the ways TCCO uses to stall Tier advancement. MTC counselors working with TCCO case managers and men going nowhere in the Tiered Program. Talk to them about only 2% ever making it out the first 1460 days.

TALK. TO. THEM. 

If this isn’t mass incarceration for profit and you believe in the humane and quality of care in a treatment facility, compare TCCO to the Chemical treatment centers in the state and compare successful exits. Demand an external audit of MTC and TCCO. Dig like lives depend upon it because they do. 

Lives are counting on you.  

More men have died in the care of TCCO than have been successful in treatment. LET. THAT. SINK. IN. 

Now, this same agency is asking the state of Texas for TENS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS (nearing hundreds of millions) to continue this “treatment”. 

How many men must die before something is done?