This report aims to provide a clearer picture of the conditions for certified juveniles in county jails based on the findings of this survey. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of how certified juveniles are housed in county jails in Texas, and the challenges faced by jail administrators when they confine certified youth.

This article is designed to familiarize readers with the concept of prison oversight and to highlight some oversight models that exist both in the United States and abroad. Special reference is made to four groups of prisoners for whom the need for external scrutiny with regard to their treatment is critical: prisoners held in administrative segregation and other forms of isolation, prisoners who are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault, prisoners with mental and physical disabilities, and prisoners with serious medical needs.