TDCJ's top cop to retire in August after years in Legislative hot seat

Inspector General John Moriarty

By Max Rodriguez, Backgate Website 

August 31st marks a milestone for TDCJ Office of Inspector General (OIG) boss John Moriarty. The date will signal his retirement. Moriarty, who was often in the hot seat in front of legislative committees and other groups over the past few years over everything from employee corruption to contraband issues will make way for another undetermined predecessor. Job postings for Moriarty's position have since closed and news of interviews for the position have not been announced as of yet.

In October of 2008 Texas state Senator John Whitmire received a call from inside of the Texas death row. Offender Richard Tabler stated that a Correctional Officer brought in the cell phone in exchange for $2,100.Tabler is said to have threatened Whitmire and his family in the call. Whitmire stated during a hearing on that matter that same month that if TDCJ couldn't take care of the issues of cell phones in Texas prisons that he would.

Inmate Richard Tabler

Whitmire, who had since grown frustrated with the OIG leader after hearings were conducted in June of 2008 regarding the corruption probe at the Region III Terrell prison unit in Rosharon, lashed out often at the OIG.  A hearing brought about by the report launched by this website. Moriarty may have been thrust unjustly into the spotlight as other factors such as a lack of established TDCJ policies, and the lack of outside criminal prosecution hampered efforts to deter employee misconduct within the agency. The situation not being unlike plugging a hole a the crumbling dike with only your middle finger. Moriarty's replacement will be immediately introduced into a system of continued widespread corruption and a measurable shortage of available OIG investigators to investigate those cases. 

We wish whoever that assumes the helm at OIG luck.  The next few years will undoubtedly be the roughest the agency has seen in awhile if employee corruption cases continue to rise. 

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