If you are a wife, husband, family member, or a pen friend of someone
incarcerated within the Texas prison system and you have occasion to conduct
any business with TDCJ-ID, please take note.
This is your legitimate, recognized
avenue to have your complaints and/or requests heard. The bureaucrats running
the system keep these avenue hidden from the general public.
If you do
not speak out and make your voice heard, things will NOT begin to get any
better for you or for us in here.
You pay the salaries of the people running
this place and making the policies that govern this system. You DO have
a say in how things are run and/or things that need to be changed or improved.
Now you have an "official" place to direct your dissatisfaction
with the way things are run. This is your chance. Put this unknown and
unused office to use.
From now on, every time you don't get the courtesy
and service you feel you are entitled to, and every time you get disrespected,
cheated, and treated like yourself were the criminal, then flood this office
with your complaints and requests.
There's a pencil-pusher sitting there
getting a paycheck, when the people who are paying his salary--YOU, the
taxpayers--don't even know his job exists!!
You owe it to yourselves. And
you will also be doing a lot to help improve the environment your loved
one has to live in.
TDCJ-ID OFFICE OF OMBUDSMAN's purpose is to outline procedures for responding
to public complaints and requests regarding the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice--Institutional Division (TDCJ-ID), and to establish a central office
of record for the responses provided.
Section 493.010 of the Texas Government Code, established by the TDCJ-ID
Sunset Legislation, requires the Division (TDCJ-ID) to develop complaint
management procedures, maintain an information file about each complaint,
and provide status reports at least quarterly (to persons making complaints)
until the complaint is resolved.
Additionally, in conjunction with the
creation of the Governor's Office of Ombudsman, the Division is committed
to taking an active role in responding to public complaints and requests.
The term "public complaint", as applies to this policy, is
defined as a letter or verbal communication directed to the Division expressing
dissatisfaction with the actions, policies, decisions, or performance of
the Division and requesting corrective action(s) to be taken.
The public can request written or verbal inquiries, requesting the Division
to provide information relative to its operation, inmates, policies, decisions,
or performance.
NOTE: Those complaints and requests expressed by TDCJ-ID employees or
inmates which are included in the established grievance procedures shall
continue to be processed according to those guidelines.
PROCEDURE The TCDJ-ID Office of Ombudsman will handle the actual processing
of public complaints/requests as follows: All complaints /requests will
be immediately reviewed and logged in--noting the date received, source
and general nature of the complaint/request; the staff responsible for
response; the date a response is provided; and the general nature of the
response.
If information is readily available, a written response will be forwarded
immediately to the requesting party.
Complaints/requests requiring additional review will be processed in
the following manner: *Forwarded to the appropriate functional manager,
with a cover IOC noting the due date (to accommodate a response within
ten working days); and *The functional manager will prepare a draft response
and return it to the TDCJ-ID Office of Ombudsman by the due date for final
processing. In the event further investigation is warranted, a ten-working-day
extension may be granted by the TDCJ-ID Office of Ombudsman.
The general nature of complaints/requests received by the TDCJ-ID Office
of Ombudsman will be summarized monthly and provided to the Director and
Deputy Directors. The TDCJ-ID Office of Ombudsman shall be the repository
for complaints/requests handled through that office.
