Pay raises alone won’t solve staffing shortages in “nightmare” Texas youth prisons, ex-workers say

Jones shows where her foot was permanently damaged while breaking up a fight at Giddings.

Credit:
Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

“I had to let it go”

Cheryl Blevins in Bastrop on Nov. 2, more than a year after she left TJJD. She previously thought she would work at the agency until she retired.

Credit:
Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

Trauma echoes

In her makeshift art studio, Jones demonstrates how she has used art to combat the depression she’s experienced since her injury.

Credit:
Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

Blevins shows a photo of the version of herself when she worked at TJJD. Since leaving, she has lost about 140 pounds and been taken off mental health medication.

Credit:
Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune