Tennessee Judges Report Inadequate Number Of Secure Juvenile Justice Treatment Beds

Tennessee’s juvenile justice system has fewer appropriate treatment beds than needed to address the needs of youth requiring a secure placement, creating a placement crisis. This was the conclusion of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, published in their recent resolution. Furthermore, the state does not have Youth Development Centers dedicated to rehabilitating female youth. The executive committee said it supports the creation of a new separate executive branch agency focusing solely on juvenile justice. This new agency would be independent from the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and all other existing agencies, would have . . .