Dallas County's embattled juvenile justice department director resigns
DALLAS COUNTY – Dallas County's embattled juvenile justice department director resigned Friday amid allegations of unsanitary and inhumane detention center conditions.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Darryl Beatty's resignation, noting that it came amid "growing public awareness of problems within the department."
Beatty, executive director of the Dallas County Juvenile Department, has been criticized for how juveniles were being handled while in detention.
Earlier this month, Beatty and his staff denied reports of mistreatment of juveniles and living conditions at the facility during a news conference.
Next steps, in the wake of Beatty's resignation, will be discussed during an emergency meeting Monday of the Dallas County Juvenile Board.
"Now is the time for everyone to work together to bring in a third party entity chosen by the Juvenile Board to investigate and report to the board what actions are needed," Jenkins said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), a North Texas social justice organization, said Beatty's resignation comes in the wake of reports of "significant neglect within the facility, including instances where children were held in solitary confinement for extended periods, exceeding 40 days."
In a statement, the organization said the Juvenile Board, led by Judge Cheryl Shannon, has failed to comply with "crucial requests from both the commissioner's court and the Dallas County District Attorney."
"The board's lack of effective oversight and accountability has been a long-standing problem, significantly undermining the welfare of the youth entrusted to its care," the organization said.
Minister Dominique Alexander, president of NGAN, said changing staff fails to "address the root of the issue."
"As long as the Juvenile Board, which holds the legal authority over the Juvenile Department, remains unchanged and unaccountable, we cannot expect meaningful reform or improvement in the conditions these young individuals face," Alexander said.
NGAN calls for an "immediate and thorough review of the Juvenile Board's practices and policies."
"Our community and its leaders must commit to transformative change," Alexander said. "If the board remains unaltered, no number of staff resignations will rectify the systemic failures that have plagued our juvenile justice system for far too long."
