A female Dallas County Juvenile detention center officer remains in Parkland Hospital after a recent incident involving a juvenile detainee.
The officer, who has been with the county for six months, was injured on April 7. The juvenile reportedly had assaulted staff before, according to one county official. She was described as being "seriously injured."
Juvenile Executive Director Lynn Hadnot said he can't yet share what happened.
"I cannot at this time go into details about what may or may not have occurred, especially the status of the officer," he said. "I just don't think that's appropriate based on the time."
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price acknowledged the injured detention officer while addressing many officers present during commissioners court's early recognition of National Correction Officers Week, which is May 4-10.
"I just want to say just thank you because I don't think [people] can really have the appreciation," he said. "I spent this weekend 鈥� not because of what happened in the adult system, but because of the juvenile system 鈥� at Parkland Hospital.
"You guys don't have to quite handle the population in the same manner, but there's an officer out there. And we're praying for [her]," Price said.
Serious incidents must be reported to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
That agency investigated 143 juvenile assaults on employees statewide from September 1 to November 30, 2024.
Hadnot says he remains committed to staff safety and juvenile justice.
"We're trying to figure out some measures to balance rehabilitation, but also make sure kids who may attack staff, there's got to be some level of accountability."
State Senate Bill 1727 aims to address that.
Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) authored the bill, which passed the Senate committee on Criminal Justice last week.
The bill targets procedures for delinquent conduct committed by someone in custody at a juvenile facility.
Dallas staff, including Hadnot, are among a statewide group being recognized on the House floor during Juvenile Justice Day Wednesday in Austin.
Hadnot took over a previously unstable juvenile administration in January.
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