And it all startswith a plea of guilt . without the benefit of counsel! But the qualify for medicaid.......

The youth sent to the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) are the state's most serious or chronically delinquent offenders. In fiscal year 2006 (9/05 - 8/06), 33% of new arrivals had committed violent offenses, the same percentage as in fiscal 2005. Overall, 39% of new arrivals were categorized as high risk offenders.

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89% were boys.
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11% were girls.
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44% were Hispanic.
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34% were African-American.
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22% were Anglo.
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34% admitted at intake that they are gang members.
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Median age at commitment was 16.
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Median reading achievement level was 6th grade (four years behind their peers).
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Median math achievement level was 5th grade (five years behind their peers).
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40% were identified as eligible for special education services.
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7% of the TYC population were English language learners.
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83% had IQs below the mean score of 100.
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46% were chemically dependent.
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41% had serious mental health problems.
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76% had parents who never married or who divorced or separated.
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36% had a documented history of being abused or neglected.
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60% came from low-income homes.
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74% came from chaotic environments.
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52% had families with histories of criminal behavior.
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12% had family members with mental impairments.
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48% were in juvenile court on two or more felony-level offenses before being committed to TYC.

More detailed statistics are available in the TYC Commitment Profile.

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