Republican Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez is the new chair of the Texas Juvenile Justice Board, the board that governs the state's Juvenile Justice Department.
Gov. Greg Abbott selected Ramirez for the chairmanship, which Abbott announced in a press release Friday.
Ramirez told KERA his appointment is an honor.
"It's my hope that the Texas Juvenile Justice Department will be the model agency for the United States," he said.
Ramirez, a longtime Fort Worth police officer, served as president of the Fort Worth police union before winning his race for Tarrant County commissioner in 2022. He represents Precinct 4, which covers the northwestern part of the county.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department runs detention facilities and halfway houses for youth up to the age of 18 who have committed felony-level crimes.
https://t.co/ewpx2mnham
— Manny Ramirez (@MannyRamirez_TX) December 13, 2024
It is an incredible honor to be appointed by Governor Abbott as the next chairman of the board of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
I am looking forward to continuing the great work with our outstanding board and making TJJD the model for the rest…
A scathing report from the U.S. Department of Justice, released earlier this year, found widespread physical and sexual abuse in Texas juvenile facilities, as well as discrimination against children with disabilities.
Board members disputed aspects of the report at a meeting in August, while community members voiced their frustrations with the Juvenile Justice Department.
The DOJ started its investigation in 2021. The Juvenile Justice Department has been working on its problems for years, Ramirez said.
"When the report came out, it was actually encouraging, because in 2023 and today, the board has almost addressed every single concern that the DOJ raised in that report," Ramirez said.
Ramirez has already served on the Texas Juvenile Justice Board since December 2023, after being appointed by Abbott. His term expires in 2027, according to the board's website.
This story has been updated with comments from Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez.
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