Texas Juvenile Justice Department

At the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, accountability is an essential pillar in how we work to achieve our mission.

Accountability at TJJD means everyone is responsible and recognized for their actions, while we collectively own our outcomes as a team. Accountability requires us to follow through on our responsibilities, learn from challenges, and remain committed to continuous improvement. It also means recognizing that our success is interconnected. By supporting one another, owning our results, and working together toward shared goals, we strengthen our ability to serve youth and communities across Texas.

When accountability is embraced at every level, it empowers us to make informed decisions, uphold high standards, and remain focused on improving outcomes across the system. Throughout this month, our staff will share what accountability looks like in practice across the agency and how this value helps shape our work at TJJD. Stay tuned!

📢 TJJD’s Top 5 Jobs of the Week!

Ready to make a difference? Check out these featured opportunities across the agency:

📍 Mart – Teacher, Career & Technical Education (Career Preparation)
🔗 https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00057747&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
📍 Edinburg – Teacher, Secondary ELAR (English Language Arts & Reading) 7–12 with ESL
🔗 https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00058518&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
📍 Gainesville – OIG Security Officer II
🔗 https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00053504&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
📍 Giddings – CTE Family Consumer Science
🔗 https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00057141&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
📍 Brownwood – Juvenile Correctional Officer II / III / IV
🔗 https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00057614&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago

Join our team and help create better opportunities for Texas youth.

We’re continuing our Leadership Spotlight series by highlighting Cameron Taylor, Policy Director at TJJD!

Cameron’s passion for public service and systems-level problem solving was shaped through his education and early professional experiences. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin in 2016, where he developed a strong foundation in public policy, legislative processes, and government institutions while interning at the Texas Capitol. During his time at UT Austin, he also studied abroad in Paris, France, gaining a broader perspective on international policy, governance, and public administration.

Before joining TJJD, Cameron served in the Texas Legislature under Senator Joan Huffman as both a Legislative Aide and Policy Analyst. In those roles, he supported constituent services, legislative research, bill tracking, and policy analysis, developing a deep understanding of how public policy is created and implemented to serve communities effectively.

As Policy Director at TJJD, Cameron leads efforts to ensure policies and administrative rules remain current, clear, and aligned with best practices. He works closely with subject matter experts and agency leadership to guide policy development, support rulemaking and codification, and translate operational needs into practical guidance. His priorities include strengthening policy infrastructure, improving consistency across the agency, supporting compliance and accountability, and ensuring policies reflect TJJD’s mission of promoting safety, structure, rehabilitation, and better outcomes for youth and staff.

Cameron says his favorite part of the work is knowing that effective policy can create meaningful change. He is passionate about bridging the gap between high-level expectations and day-to-day practice so that policies are not only compliant and current, but also useful, understandable, and impactful for the people they serve.

Among the accomplishments that have been most meaningful to him are serving as the primary author of TJJD’s capstone project through Georgetown University’s Youth in Custody Certificate Program and authoring the agency’s 2024 Strategic Plan. He also values the opportunity he had to closely advise Executive Director Shandra Carter during her transition from Interim Executive Director to Executive Director.

Together, these experiences reflect Cameron's commitment to thoughtful leadership, policy, and how it advances positive outcomes for youth and staff across Texas. Stay tuned as we continue our Leadership Spotlight series and highlight more of the leaders making a difference across TJJD.

Don't miss your chance to apply!

Today is the final day to apply for our Manager of Probation and Reentry Role: https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00058507&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago

We’re looking for an experienced professional to help lead statewide reentry operations and support youth as they transition back into their communities.

This role plays a critical part in strengthening rehabilitation efforts, improving outcomes, and helping create safer communities across Texas.

If you’re passionate about leadership, youth services, and making a lasting impact, don’t miss your chance to apply today!

This is challenging work, but it’s also important work.

At TJJD, our staff show up every day to guide, teach, support, and hold youth accountable while helping them build a better future. It takes patience, resilience, and commitment to make this mission possible, and we’re looking for people ready to step up and make an impact.

Check out some of these positions to get started:
• Secondary Special Education Teacher
https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00056804&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
• CTE Agriculture Science/Horticulture Teacher
https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00057145&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
• HVAC Mechanic III / HVAC Technician
https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00054571&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
• CTE Career Preparation Teacher
https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00057747&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
• Psychologist II-III for Forensic Services
https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobdetail.ftl?job=00049093&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago

If you’re inspired by helping youth succeed in a correctional environment, we can't wait to meet you! Check out other career opportunities at TJJD here: https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/644/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en.

This Memorial Day, TJJD honors the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

Today, we remember their sacrifice, honor their legacy, and carry forward the courage and commitment they embodied. Because of the freedoms they helped secure, we are able to continue serving Texas youth and working together to transform lives.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have served, all who are currently serving, and all who gave their lives in service to the United States of America.

In the Texas Model, Trust-Based Relational Intervention informs the framework of our model.

Today we are highlighting how TBRI helps us to recognize that youth may come from traumatic backgrounds and in order to make a difference in their lives, we must first build an environment on safety. Establishing an environment through this approach then empowers staff to better understand those behaviors and reinforce the use of DBT principles from a trauma informed perspective.

By building professional, trust-based relationships and maintaining safe, structured environments, youth can strengthen their emotional regulation, improve behavior, and develop the skills necessary for long-term rehabilitation and successful reentry. Swipe through to learn how TBRI, paired with DBT and a team of wonderful staff, make it all possible. ➡️

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the foundation of skill building within the Texas Model and today, we’re discussing how it helps rehabilitate youth.

DBT helps youth build the skills needed to manage emotions, improve decision-making, communicate effectively, and respond to challenges in productive ways. Through reinforcement in treatment, education, and daily interactions, these tools support long-term behavioral change, personal responsibility, and growth, preparing them to ultimately transition back to their community successfully.

Swipe through to learn how DBT helps youth strengthen the skills necessary for rehabilitation and successful reentry. ➡️