Long entrenched in a continuous string of scandals over child abuse and mistreatment, Texas’ youth prison system is broken beyond repair and should be shut down, according to a state lawmaker. In a dramatic proposal Thursday, state Rep. James Talarico announced legislation asking his colleagues to close the state’s five juvenile prisons and dismantle the agency that runs them by 2030.
![State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, speaks at a press conference at the Texas Capitol on Thursday to support his bill to close juvenile prisons. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image/public/articles/2023-03/screenshot-2023-03-09-31116-pm.png?itok=IZhUICQL)