The state will investigate allegations of child neglect in Dallas County’s Henry Wade Juvenile Detention Center, according to a letter sent Wednesday.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is basing its investigation on information from the county's juvenile probation department, complaints and inspection findings, Chief Inspector General Daniel Guajardo wrote in a letter obtained by KERA.
"At this time, there are no specific persons identified as alleged perpetrators and there is no request to initiate an internal investigation as required by Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 358," the letter states.
It comes just weeks after reporting from The Dallas Morning News revealed accounts of poor conditions for detained children. Many spend most of their days alone in small cells. Some parents told the outlet their kids were not given necessary medication.
Dallas County officials and families of the detained children have pushed the county to take a deeper look into its juvenile justice process.
Darryl Beatty, director of the juvenile detention department, told The News he had been unaware until recently of the detention center conditions.
Got a tip? Email Toluwani Osibamowo at tosibamowo@kera.org. You can follow Toluwani on Twitter @tosibamowo.
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