DATE:  DECEMBER 7, 1987

TO:  JOHN SUTTON, District Judge, 119th Judicial District
     Marlin Johnston, Commissioner, Department of Human Services,
          Austin, Texas
     Ray Dunavant, Regional Administrator, Department of Human
          Services, Abilene, Texas
     David Mayberry, Assistant Regional Director, Department of
          Human Services, Abilene, Texas
     David Marsh, Regional Director, Department of Human Services,
          Abilene, Texas
     Mark Hoover, Regional Attorney, Department of Human Services,
          Abilene, Texas
     Ernast Haynes, Sheriff, Tom Green County, Texas
     Travis Johnson, Chief of Police, San Angelo, Texas

     The Grand Jurors for the County of Tom Green, duly selected, impaneled,
sworn, charged and organized as such at the November, A.D. 1987, of the
119th District Court of said County, upon their oaths present and resolve,
from the evidence heard:

     1.   That serious problems exist at the Department of Human Services
(DHS), Child Protective Services Division in San Angelo, Texas, which
impair the investigation of child abuse and neglect;

     2.   That false entries into records at DHS have been made in
violation of the law;

     3.   That there appears to be more concern by management at DHS
Abilene with bureaucratic requirements and potential civil liability
rather than the welfare of abused and neglected children;

     4.   That the system that exists appears to encourage inaccurate or
false recordkeeping with no system of verification;

     5.   That management at DHS Abilene has failed to correct
inadequacies in the San Angelo office, although they have been aware that
problems have existed for two to three years;

     6.   Though made aware of the problem by a prior Grand Jury report,
DHS management has failed to adequately develop an appropriate and
meaningful working relationship with law enforcement agencies in San Angelo
for the purpose of investigation of abuse and neglect;

     7.   That the system of having the Child Protective Services Unit in San
Angelo governed by DHS Abilene management is questionable in light of
past and recent problems and the volume of abuse and neglect cases in San
Angelo;

     THEREFORE, based on these findings, the Grand Jury recommends in the
interest of abused and neglected children:

     1.   That the Commissioner of DHS determine whether inaccurate or
false recordkeeping, though in violation of law and policy, is nevertheless
being practiced statewide, at worker and management levels, because of the
pressures of heavy caseloads or for whatever other reasons;

     2.   That a verification system be implemented in insure that
appropriate investigative contacts in abuse and neglect cases are being made;

     3.   That the Commissioner of DHS take appropriate and meaningful
measures to correct the unstable and unsatisfactory situation in San Angelo
that has existed for two to three years;

     4.   That the Commissioner of DHS appear before this Grand Jury at its
next scheduled meeting (in approximately sixty days) to report corrective
actions taken and to testify as to his findings, if any, regarding
violations of the criminal law in this county pertaining to DHS.