Dallas Black Clergy Seeks Answers for Inhumane Conditions at Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center

The Dallas Black Clergy held an emergency press conference on June 30 at Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center (Henry Wade) concerning the purported inhumane conditions of the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center. The gathering was swiftly organized following the airing of the most recent investigative report by WFAA Channel 8's Rebecca Lopez, that detailed a former employee's depiction of the callous conditions for juveniles at Henry Wade.

The Dallas Black Clergy and community leaders gather at Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center to rally for change of the current conditions.Photo byDallas Black Clergy

Several of the concerning conditions of confinement are listed below, but not limited to (taken from the 2023 Evident Change Report):

• 15 violations of state juvenile standards
• Children isolated in cell as long as 5 days (not sure how frequent)
• Children reported not showering daily
• Guards not checking on children per state standards, especially for suicide watch
• White (including Hispanic) children tend to wait less time than Black children for their cases to be decided
• Over half of the children are sent deeper into the system instead of diverted out – when they are reported low risk (47%) or medium risk (32%)

Founding members of the Dallas Black Clergy were in attendance at the press conference, in addition to several community leaders and luminaries, in an effort to rally for change, and to make one critical demand from Dallas County officials — to meet with each member of the Dallas County Juvenile Board.

(L to R): Ms. A. Jones and Ms. Sha Smith stand outside of Henry Wade as impacted persons who spent time at the facility as youth.Photo byDallas Black Clergy

According to Reverend Dr. Michael W. Waters, Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy and the Founder and Lead Pastor of Abundant Life A.M.E. Church, "Either they will lie to our faces concerning the conditions inside Henry Wade, or they will allow us to join with them in correcting the issues. Their willingness to meet with us and the substance of those meetings will determine our next actions."

Speakers at the press conference included:

• Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III - Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy; Senior Pastor, Friendship West Baptist Church
• Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters - Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy; Founder and Lead Pastor of Abundant Life A.M.E. Church
• Ms. Sha Smith - Impacted Individual by the Henry Wade conditions
• Ms. A. Jones - Impacted Individual by Henry Wade conditions
• Mr. John Fullinwider - Co-Founder of Mother's Against Police Brutality
• Rev. Dr. Irie Session - Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy for Safety, Equity and Justice; Co-Pastor of The Gathering: A Womanist Church in Dallas
• Minister Dominique Alexander - President and CEO of the Next Generation Action Network
• Rev. Virzola Law - Senior Minister of Northway Christian Church
• Rev. Dr. George Mason - Founder and President of Faith Commons

A. Jones, an individual impacted by Henry Wade conditions at the age of 14, is now speaking up and sharing her experience at the age of 20.

"My time at Henry Wade was short, but it was something that was traumatic and that I will never forget," A. Jones said. "During this time I was forced to sleep with a blanket covered in my menstrual blood, and was denied access to more than one cup of water each day. Being locked down for 23 hours [a day] affected me mentally and emotionally. I became really depressed, hopeless and suicidal."

Additional testimonies of impacted individuals was voiced citing similar conditions and treatment, along with a final demand by the Dallas Black Clergy for change.

"Henry Wade is supposed to be a place of rehabilitation," Dr. Waters stated. "Instead, it is a place of trauma. It is supposed to be a house of healing; instead, it is a house of horrors. These are our children. We must protect our children. These horrors must cease immediately. The system must change."