To address its correctional officer shortage in Texas prisons and jails, state and local leaders are turning to teenagers to help fill the gaps, allowing them, they say, to jump-start their careers in criminal justice and obtain their jailer’s license.
The teenagers must be at least 18 to begin working inside the lock-ups. So far, only two counties have piloted training programs in local high schools. Teenagers do not have to complete any additional training beyond the required basic course for jailers from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to start working in county facilities. In 2023, 68 18-year-olds obtained their jailer’s license. Naomi De-Anda, chair of the criminal justice department at Odessa College, said some students are lured in by the prospect of earning $65,000 a year as a jailer as soon as they graduate high school.
Some officials and educators maintain becoming a correction- al officer can serve as a segue into a career in criminal justice. However, critics argue teenagers lack the emotional maturity needed to work with inmates, many of whom are older or have mental illness or substance abuse issues.
“Eighteen-year-olds do not have fully formed frontal lobes yet. They are barely equipped to be in the adult criminal justice system, let alone supervise people,” said Michele Deitch, a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Law and LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Chris Forbis, sheriff of Randall County, said he has been careful to screen applicants who can’t handle the stress of work- ing in jail. New officers are also paired with an experienced jailer for several weeks before working on their own, he said.
Justtice Taylor, a 19-year-old aspiring homicide detective, began working at Smith County Jail last year. For her, the jail has been a highly controlled environment and her co-workers are always ready to help when an inmate acts out.
“This is my second family,” Taylor said. “You never know what your day is going to be like. But the good days outweigh the bad.”
