New documents prove Rutherford County disproportionately jails black children, and it’s getting worse Meribah Knight, Ken Armstrong, PropublicaandHannah Fresques, PropublicaDecember 30, 2021 Rutherford County has been jailing Black children at a disproportionately high rate, according to newly obtained data. And, in a departure from national trends, the county’s racial disparity is getting worse, not better.