After Lock-up Scandal, War of Words Breaks Out Between John Wiley Price and County's Juvenile Director

The time for being nice is apparently over when it comes to the treatment of Dallas County's juvenile delinquents. In the last few days, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and the county's embattled director of juvenile justice, Terry Smith, have sent each other nasty-grams in the wake of a Dallas Morning News investigation and Price's outrage over the way kids in Smith's care have been mistreated. The email showdown came after Price sought to oust Smith after the News' found that teenage boys at a lockup under Smith's control had been denied access to the outdoors for months at a time. One boy said he wasn't allowed outside in nearly 10 months. Even hardened prisoners are given outdoor time daily, according to federal prison standards. The News also reported that Smith had been warned of the problem for a year by a state watchdog, yet did nothing. She said she never read the reports.   Continue reading...