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Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Following a report released in August claiming abuse has gone unreported in at least one Tennessee juvenile detention facility, four state lawmakers wrote a letter to the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) pressing for answers about why the incidents have reportedly been ignored and requesting fiscal accountability as DCS plans to spend nearly half a billion dollars for facility expansions and renovations.
The ProPublica/WLPN investigation details alleged instances of abuse at juvenile detention facilities and halfway houses that supposedly went unreported to the state, including one in 2024 where a teen boy was allegedly “dragged violently” by other youths in the facility and confined, all with the approval of onlooking guards.
ProPublica obtained a recording of the video surveillance footage of the incident and confirmed with DCS that it had not received a report from the facility around the time it happened. A medication supervisor at Wayne later reported the incident to DCS.
Alongside interviews with dozens of former staff and youth, the reporting also reviewed emergency call logs, company records, and state documents. It found that juvenile justice facilities run by Tennessee businessman Jason Crews, whose Wayne Halfway House company (WHH) runs three of the state’s highest-security youth facilities, “failed to report suspected physical and sexual abuse to state officials across Crews’ facilities and prevented the public from learning about violent attacks by reducing the number of 911 calls.”
And according to WHH and Middle Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center employees who reportedly worked closely with corporate executives, Crews issued a directive for serious incidents to be kept secret.
“You always call Jason and nothing gets reported without his permission- and that’s wrong,” said the company’s former human resources director who was fired in 2024.
In response, four Democrat lawmakers sent a letter to DCS Commissioner Margie Quin on Sept. 16 demanding “an urgent, transparent, and independently verifiable response” from the department regarding the allegations of “serious physical and sexual abuse, dangerous restraints, injuries, and other critical incidents [that] have gone unreported by WHH.”
Signed by Sen. Heidi Campbell, Sen. Charlane Oliver, Rep. Aftyn Behn, and Rep. Gloria Johnson, the letter asks for answers to several questions raised by the investigation, including what steps DCS is taking to address the allegations, how much money the state spends to place youths in WHH facilities, and who is in consideration to operate the new facilities the department is spending approximately $400 million to build.
“Given the amount of money Tennessee is currently spending, and plans to invest, in juvenile justice and residential facilities, we have serious concerns about repeated findings and allegations of lack of oversight, transparency, and accountability in these facilities,” the letter said.
It also noted that these latest allegations add to years of existing concerns about the department’s operations and oversight of juvenile facilities.
“The problem really isn’t only just abuse, which is horrible, but its abuse being hidden. This isn’t just one bad headline. It’s the state’s own reports showing a pattern,” Campbell said. “Tennessee is paying more and more without getting safety or accountability, and we are continuously seeing children in situations that are very dangerous.”
Rep. Behn, who asked the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year to investigate the state’s DCS after a different report detailed other allegations of mismanagement and serious incidents, accused Republicans of circling the wagons to protect Crews who has been a major donor.
“What we are seeing is privatization of our public systems, and it is Tennessee children who are suffering,” Behn stated. “The person that owns those facilities is one of the Republican party’s number one donors, so that is why they are trying to expand these facilities that are negligent.”
The lawmakers requested to meet with DCS leadership to “discuss these issues, review the Department’s response, and identify the legislative and administrative actions necessary to ensure that no child’s safety depends on abuse first becoming a news story,” and asked the department to respond by Sept. 24.
As of this writing, no public response or comment has been made by DCS about the letter.
Sources:
WPLN.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Not upholding wrongdoing, but it’s highly likely that many of the youth are incorrigible, and should be put to hard labor.