Woodland Hills Detention Doors Kept Open Because Of Rules Now Being Questioned

A perimeter fence has been repaired at Woodland Hills after Monday night’s escape. Credit: Emily West / WPLN

After teens at a Nashville detention facility escaped last week, and others rioted, the Department of Children Services has noted that guards can’t lock the rooms where teens are being held.

The rule was enacted after a 1976 federal lawsuit alleging that the welfare of juveniles in detention was not being respected. As a result, teens at the Woodland Hills Youth Development Center have been able to unlock or open their doors from the inside.

Everette Parrish, an attorney who works for DCS and looks out for the interest of teens at Woodland Hills, said the rule — known as a consent decree in legal jargon — can lead to issues.

“In a perfect world, the guard would lock the door at night and say, ‘sleep tight, don’t mess with anybody, have a good night, see ya tomorrow,’ and nobody will mess with him. Nobody can get in his room, it’s locked.”

Parrish says the restrictions are also part of their classification as  “juveniles in detention.” They are not technically inmates. If each room was locked and watched over by an armed guard, it would resemble a jail, which it isn’t.

In order to lock the room doors, DCS would have to get an enactment from the governor or the Tennessee General Assembly – asking for the rule to be temporarily changed, citing a special circumstance.

DCS Spokesman Rob Johnson said both options are being considered.