JJAEP to open facility in Waxahachie

WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County recently held a groundbreaking event for the new Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) facility which will be open by September.

Ellis County Judge Todd Little explained to those at the groundbreaking including judges, a county commissioner, law enforcement, city officers, and various Ellis County ISD superintendents that this facility is a core function of county government.

“Any county over 120,000 is required in the State of Texas to implement a JJAEP program,” Little said.

“As you know, if you are not the age of 18 and you commit a misdemeanor or felony offense you can be put in prison.

“But since you are below the age of 18 you go into a juvenile justice alternative detention program.”

This facility will be the first juvenile justice program in the county.

“Ellis County had a specific exemption that since we are not 180,000 we were exempted from providing a JJAEP and that occurred back in 2001, but we are fully expecting that come October when we get the census results we are going to be well over 180,000,”  Little added.

“So two years ago we began this planning process for the JJAEP program.”

Little introduced the newly appointed JJAEP Administrator Darrin Robinson. Robinson spoke to the crowd, first introducing his team, and adding this is a passion for him.

Robinson, an Ennis High School graduate with honors who graduated from UTA, has been at this kind of work for the past 16 years, and began with Child Protective Services.

“I have been in this field a long time – and seen a lot of dark stuff,”  he said.

He believes this is the place for him because he understands these kids from personal experience. And while he has never been in jail, he said his family members have.

“Whatever reason – God put His hand on my life, and I have never been incarcerated.

“I know the trauma, I know the tragedy and I know what families go through and what parents go through with no understanding of how to help them.”

Ennis Superintendent Jay Tullos spoke.

“Regarding JJAEP, this has been a discussion that has been going on for years,” he said.

“This is not a place we are sending our bad kids – that is not what this is. This is a place where we are sending kids who made a bad choice. So we have to get them over here so they are not on the street making more bad choices and not running with the same crew who probably got them to make those choices in the beginning. They can come over here and keep that education going and they can then transition back to our campuses. We all know the foundation for success is education. If they don’t have that, they are going to struggle for the rest of their life.”

Ellis County Precinct Two Lane Grayson added, “Nothing gets us more excited than taking care of our kids.”

Robinson will operate like the superintendent of a school in his new role as JJAEP Administrator. The school will have the capacity for 48 students and is starting with two-and-a-half teachers.

“This place is a turning point for a lot of these kids,” Robinson concluded.

“You have to be committed to doing what is right, even when you make mistakes. Holding these kids accountable and not victims of their stories.

“We are building something phenomenal here.”