In Memory of Parole Officer Troy K. Morin

Texas Parole Officer Dies from COVID19

COVID19 has ravaged the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and its employees. To date, there have been more than 48 corrections officers die from exposure to the virus within the state of Texas. The numbers are devastating. We have found in the last year that some occupations come with a higher risk of exposure. We are losing our corrections officers and other law enforcement officers at astounding rates for the first time in American history.

Texas authorities were saddened to come forward to tell residents they had lost another officer due to the pandemic. On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Parole Officer Troy K. Morin lost his battle with the virus. He was 53 years old. Contact tracing showed that Officer Morin likely contracted the virus through his duties as an officer making this a line of duty death.

Officer Morin was hospitalized on February 10 but was moved to ICU the following day. He was listed in critical condition until his passing on February 20. Officer Morin is the forty-first officer to die in the line of duty with the TDCJ.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Officer Morin had given two and a half years to the TDCJ. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is the government agency responsible for statewide criminal justice in Texas. The TDCJ manages adult offenders in the state, private, and federal correctional facilities in the state. The department handles funding and management of community supervision. TDCJ also provides care of offenders on parole or other court-ordered supervision.

Texas, through the TDCJ, operates the most extensive prison system in the United States. The state has more than 100 correctional facilities. The TDCJ is a leading employer throughout Texas. It provides jobs to more than 37,000 Texans, many of whom are sworn, correctional officers. COVID19 has ravaged the prisons, staff, and communities surrounding many of the TDCJ facilities.

San Antonio, I Parole Division

Officer Morin worked as a parole officer within the guidelines of the TDCJ. His most recent assignment was at the San Antonio I Parole Division. The TDCJ Parole Division has a motto or mission that they have posted. “The Mission of the Parole Division is to promote public safety and positive offender change through effective supervision, programs, and services.

Texas has a total of 2,056 field offices in its parole division. It employs more than 2,350 parole officers.

Remembrances

COVID has left large holes in many families across the globe. America has lost hundreds of thousands of lives to the virus. This loss leaves gaps in our society’s fabric that will require us to support the virus’s victims. The children who face futures with the loss of one or both parents will need additional support in their lives to reach their full potential.

Parole Officer Troy K. Morin was a family man. He leaves behind his children, mother, stepfather, and two sisters. The community, neighbors, extended family, and fellow officers in blue will come together to help celebrate the life he lived and support the Morin family in their grief.

Longtime friend Humberto Castro posted his condolences to the Morin family online. He also spoke of his friendship with Officer Morin. “Troy and I went to high school together. He, Art, and I were friends who hung out and enjoyed our youth. Good friends, great memories, and I will miss him now, even more today than yesterday. Rest easy, brother. See ya on the other side.”

TDCJ Director Bryan Collier shared condolences from the department. “The Texas Department of Criminal Justice suffers as one family in a time of loss. These times of loss have hit all areas of the agency. Each of the deaths coming from COVID is a tragedy that we mourn as a family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Morin family in this tragic time.”

TDCJ Parole Division Director Rene Hinojosa shared her grief for the passing of Officer Morin. “Mr. Morin was a parole officer who truly enjoyed his job. He was a hardworking man who would go above and beyond to help his coworkers, always putting the needs of his clients first. Most importantly, Officer Marin knew how to genuinely connect with the parolees. Around the office, he was known for his kindness and generosity, and he will be in our hearts and thoughts forever.”