Reforming the Texas Civil Commitment Program: A Shadow Prison for Profit?

The Texas Civil Commitment Program has become an arbitrarily punitive establishment—a shadow prison for profit, if you will—since being purchased by the Corrections Management & Training Corporation (MTC) in the summer of 2019. Originally hailed as the Bill Clayton Juvenile Detention Center, the facility, currently repurposed as the Texas Civil Commitment Center (TCCC), is located in a remote rural area. This location poses significant challenges to hiring enough staff to run it.

The Management and Training Corporation (MTC) was contracted by the Texas Civil Commitment Office (TCCO) to manage the facility. Unfortunately for the residents, MTC has no experience running a treatment facility. Since their expertise lies solely in prisons, they are operating this facility just like one of their private prisons. Despite their inability to fully staff the facility—originally built to hold 250 boys—they are ultimately denying the current residents (full-grown adult men) proper amounts of fresh air and sunlight.

Moreover, MTC has implemented punitive policies that contradict legislated mandates for this so-called “treatment facility.” These policies enforce ever more restrictive conditions of housing and supervision aimed at keeping clients further confined. This confinement is contrary to the parameters laid out by the Texas Health and Safety Code §841, which was legislated to provide less restrictive conditions than prison for treatment purposes. One must first be released from their confinement to participate in the Cognitive Behavioral Treatment provided by licensed and associate therapists at TCCC.

Learn more about Civil Commitment here

Violations of Residents’ Rights

Residents/clients, declared in court as a class of free citizens, have discharged their adjudicated prison sentences. Yet, they face ongoing discrimination and exploitation at the hands of MTC—a global prison-for-profit corporation.

Since MTC took over management of TCCC, there have been numerous constitutional and civil rights violations. The Texas Civil Commitment Office (TCCO), charged by legislation to protect residents from exploitation, retaliation, and civil violations, has refused to act in their interests.

In fact, it was with the encouragement of TCCO that MTC bought this facility from the city of Littlefield. Notably, the de-annexation of the property from Littlefield, which occurred before the sale, appears to have been a condition of the purchase. This released MTC from compliance with the city’s zoning ordinances and building codes. This is evidenced by multiple EPA and OSHA violations that go unreported, as the TCCC is a closed-door facility.

For years, TCCO and MTC have hidden their civil and environmental violations from the Texas Congress, the courts, and the public. The 480+ adult residents earnestly pray that somebody will act upon the word they’ve been trying to get out.

Retaliation and Substandard Conditions

TCCO and MTC arbitrarily provoke clients with unsubstantiated accusations and punitive sanctions without due process. Civilly committed individuals (Texas citizens) have been summarily stripped of their constitutionally guaranteed rights and protections.

Despite this, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that civil commitment is not unconstitutional. Perhaps the violation of residents’ rights has not been enough to provoke legislative outrage, but MTC and TCCO have gotten away with these violations for so long that they have begun violating the rights of family members as well.

Free-world citizens with no criminal records—taxpaying voters with impeccable character—have faced violations of their rights to privacy, free speech, and freedom from harassment or threat of harm.

Substandard Food and Medical Care

Budget cuts have reduced the daily food allowance from $6.25 to $4.25 per person, aligning the food budget with what is spent in MTC prisons. Residents now receive meals composed of processed foods, soy protein, GMO-grown meats, and frequently rotting or moldy produce. In contrast, staff regularly enjoy catered meals and fresh ingredients.

Medical care is another glaring issue. Residents are reportedly left in their own blood and feces after surgeries, denied basic examinations for chest pains, and turned away from the infirmary because staff are “too busy” with data entry. The facility provides no medical staff after 5 PM on weekdays or during weekends. Dental care is limited to extractions, even when a filling would suffice.

What’s more, residents are billed for off-site medical and dental procedures, despite being denied access to their Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Systemic Issues and the Need for Reform

Many residents have been reassessed by state professionals and found to no longer have a behavioral abnormality (BA). However, these findings are often buried or omitted from judicial reviews, perpetuating indefinite confinement.

The arbitrary nature of the commitment process and the systemic denial of constitutional protections point to a program designed to indefinitely prolong incarceration beyond adjudicated sentences. Such practices reflect political imprisonment and discrimination in its purest form.

Conclusion

The residents of the TCCC and their families call on lawmakers and the public to address these injustices. The Texas Civil Commitment Program must adhere to its legislative mandate of rehabilitation, not exploitation.

Thank you for your time.

God bless America, and God bless Texas.

"The Preacher's Wife"