Policies executed in the 1960s as part of the “War on Poverty” established the foundation for a significant shift in welfare policy in two ways: first, by launching a vigorous private-public partnership and, second, by explaining economic inequality as the result of individual attributes and psychology (Bertram, 2007; Morris, 2004; O’Connor, 2009; Weir, 1992). Johnson’s “poverty project” formally became the War on Poverty on January 8 when it was declared in his first State of the Union address. The roots of that “War on Poverty” are lengthy and goes back the Kennedy administration’s committee stance on Juvenile Delinquency and trial programs related to social science initiatives directed by something known as “Opportunity Theory.” "Social …show more content…
As a result, there was a public uproar to the policy makers to reform the policies in place. Policy makers in return passed omnibus reform legislation with unanimous bipartisan support. After continued fall out to the revelation of abuse and violence the youth were experiencing, all the Texas juvenile justice agencies were forces to undertake a review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. The Sunset Advisory Commission is an agency of the Texas Legislature that makes recommendations to the Legislature on whether to continue various state agencies. In 2009, the Texas Legislature Enacted H. B. 3689 (Texas Legislature Online, 2009) requiring that the Texas Youth Commission (TYC; now the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, TJJD) initiate a plan to improve behavior in all its secure care facilities. Specifically, this legislation required that: "[the TYC] shall: (1) adopt system-wide classroom and individual positive behavior supports that incorporate a continuum of prevention and intervention strategies." Although the initiative was implemented in 10 secure care facilities, the current study focuses on a single facility. The Texas Juvenile Justice system functions very similar with the adult criminal system. It affords resources to deal with illegal activity by minors. At the same time the Juvenile Justice system recognize that they are minors. The current law states, “Under current law, the juvenile justice system’s jurisdiction