MCALLEN -- State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa received a special recognition award from the NAACP for his work to reform the Texas Youth Commission and for his work in criminal justice.

The award was presented October 13th at the National Association of Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) statewide conference held in McAllen, Texas.

Senator Hinojosa is the author of SB 103, comprehensive legislation that reformed the Texas Youth Commission after numerous complaints of sexual and physical abuse. Senator Hinojosa also authored legislation to create the Texas Forensic Science Commission to create more stringent guidelines for DNA testing, and he is the author of comprehensive Identity Theft legislation to protect Texans from identity thieves.

Mr. Terry Mills, Treasurer of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP, said the organization wanted to honor the Senator for his contributions to social justice, consumer protection and for his reform of the TYC.

"We are very proud because he has always fought for civil rights and for justice," said Mills. "With regards to TYC, children were put in there and the overseers were supposed to be watching out for these kids. Instead we learned they were being sexually and physically assaulted by these overseers. Senator Hinojosa got involved and their house of cards came falling down. He exposed the injustice going on in TYC and made sure those kids got help and that TYC was reformed."

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