DALLAS – A familiar face has been appointed to lead the Dallas County Juvenile Justice Department at a critical time, as the agency is under two state investigations into allegations of abuse.

“We need to restore our credibility not only with our youth welfare office and the youth court, but above all with society,” said interim director Michael Griffiths.

Griffiths was appointed by the Youth Services Department earlier this month and is well aware of the challenges and responsibilities that come with it. He headed the department for 15 years in the late 1990s and now he wants to replace his predecessor’s combativeness with cooperation.

“I’m very, very, very committed,” Griffiths said. “The collaboration we have, whether it’s contractual or just through referrals, is the ultimate key to making this system work.”

Former youth agency director Darryl Beatty was embroiled in a public dispute with Dallas County Commissioners for months. He abruptly resigned last month, followed by another deputy director weeks later. Both publicly denied allegations of poor treatment and unsafe conditions at the county’s youth facilities before resigning. Griffiths said he has already toured the facilities and is making structural improvements.

“It’s about ordering furniture, cleaning and painting. It’s about making the facility suitable for young adults for our programs,” Griffiths said.

Another problem area is programming.

“We need to improve the way we deal with these children,” said Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, noting that procedures put in place during an Evident Change review last year “actually increase recidivism rates, not decrease them.”

Creuzot requested the external investigation over a year ago and has since committed to making changes in his department. He has acknowledged that minor offenders are being incarcerated unnecessarily and wants to learn to become more serious offenders while in prison.

“So we try to be realistic and ask ourselves, ‘If this child is on parole and can go home, why don’t we do it today rather than in six or seven months?'” Creuzot said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Griffiths said he is in contact with Creuzot almost daily and pointed out that the number of youths in custody is half what it was a year ago, a progress that began before he arrived. He plans to continue that progress and work together to make improvements.

“I hope people understand that this agency operates under the auspices of the Dallas County Juvenile Board and in partnership with the Commissioners Court. We have a very close relationship. The Commissioners Court has always provided ample resources to this agency. We need to show them that we can manage those funds effectively to meet the needs of our youth,” Griffiths said.

After decades of serving the nation’s youth, Griffiths said he has no plans to return to the position permanently because of cooler summers in Chicago and because he has grandchildren, but he emphasized his commitment during his tenure.

“I can assure the community, your viewers, that we will work closely with all stakeholders. They are at the heart of what we do,” Griffiths said. “Especially when the need is so high … for the entire county, we need to make it work.”

To help with the staffing shortage, a job fair is planned for Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center. Griffiths said they are looking for applicants who have a heart for teens. Bring your resume. Testing will be done on site and qualified applicants can receive an offer immediately.