Judge Prepared to Fine Texas $50K a Day Over Foster Care System

This judge isn't messing around anymore.

U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack has been dealing with the State of Texas and their foster care system laws for a few years now. She actually ruled them unconstitutional back in 2015 and said changes needed to be made. One of those policies was for a home with over six foster children, they must have 24-hour supervision. This means a supervisor must be awake while the children are sleeping as well.

Judge Janis Graham Jack believes state officials lied to her this week about this policy being changed. She says she has cases where this is not in effect right now in our state. She threatened to throw officials in jail and is also threatening a fine of fifty thousand dollars a day starting on Friday if this policy isn't followed. She says she has monitors who deal with these cases and has the evidence to prove this policy isn't being followed.

The state has fought against Jack’s reforms for four years now, voiding several of her original mandates through appeals. Jack accused the state of dragging its feet on the remaining court-ordered changes, including studying workers’ caseloads to see what they can safely handle. Judge Jack says the fines will increase to one hundred thousand dollars a day starting on November 18th if changes are not made.

Judge Jack says the state is creating a crisis for these foster care children and she clearly wants to see changes.