A group of Tennessee lawmakers is calling for an audit of the use of seclusion inside juvenile detention facilities, and the removal of a Knox County superintendent.
Tennessee Senate committees likely shut down for the special session
After more than 100 bills were filed for Tennessee’s special session on public safety in both the House and Senate, it seems that only three will end up making it to the governor’s desk.
Nashville judge blocks new statehouse rules after a woman was removed for holding a gun safety sign
A judge has temporarily blocked a new Tennessee House rule that prohibited spectators from holding signs in the gallery.
Amid calls for gun reform, Tennessee Republicans say the state needs to crack down on juvenile crime. The numbers say otherwise.
Over the past decade, juvenile crime where a gun was involved has increased by 26%, according to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Advocates want gun reform passed at special session. Tennessee’s House Speaker wants to toughen juvenile sentencing.
Lawmakers are set to reconvene later this month for a special legislative session on public safety. The regular session earlier this year drew protesters, demonstrating for gun reform after the Covenant School shooting.
A Black family from Georgia is still not reunited with their five kids who were taken into DCS custody in Tennessee
It’s been about a month since Bianca Clayborne and Deonte Williams were separated from their five children following a traffic stop in rural Tennessee.
A new bill would funnel more kids into adult court. Advocates say it would cause damage that ‘can’t be undone.’
House Speaker Cameron Sexton introduced a bill that would funnel more kids into the adult criminal court system. Juvenile justice advocates are concerned it could have disastrous results.
Rutherford County’s juvenile detention facility is under increased oversight, yet still expanding its reach
Rutherford County’s juvenile justice system has come under fire for locking up kids at rates that surpass every other county in Tennessee. And it doesn’t just detain its own kids. The detention center contracts with counties across the state and charges a daily rate.
Problems at Tennessee DCS prompt advocates to call for reforms, with less emphasis on facilities
As Tennessee legislators eye reforms at the Department of Children’s Services, advocates are asking them to focus on family and community-based support, instead of expanding facilities.
Police shootings, executions on hold and guns in cars: WPLN’s top criminal justice stories
Tennessee’s criminal justice system has topped several lists this year — largely for lagging behind the rest of the country in reforms. WPLN’s Paige Pfleger picked three stories that defined the beat this year.
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