Pay raises alone won’t solve staffing shortages in “nightmare” Texas youth prisons, ex-workers say

Tiffany Jones, a former youth prison officer, cries outside her home in Manor when recalling the trauma she endured at the Giddings State School. (Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune)

This story contains some graphic descriptions. For 24/7 mental health support in English or Spanish, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free help line at 800-662-4357. You can also reach a trained crisis counselor through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

As blood began seeping through her pants, Tiffany Jones helplessly watched the clock. She was the lone adult in a Texas juvenile prison dorm watching a dozen teenage boys, and her increasingly desperate radio calls for a bathroom break went unanswered.