State Invests Millions in Improvements to Youth Facility - Articles

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State Invests Millions in Improvements to Youth Facility

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Oct 27, 2023

Tennessee is investing millions in upgrading the Wilder Youth Development Center in Fayette County, which serves juveniles found guilty of violent crimes and posing significant risks to their communities. The new hardware-secure facility will have 72 beds with the potential to expand to 96 beds in the future. WREG reports that this move comes in response to a history of issues at the center, including fights, riots, staff members being locked in cells and multiple incidents that required state troopers' assistance, which has prompted the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to make changes and improvements. The expansion will also allow juveniles in Shelby County to serve their sentences closer to home instead of being sent across the state — or out of state, in some cases — to another facility. Memphis Shelby Crime Commission President Bill Gibbons is concerned that the new beds may not be enough to address the high number of juveniles charged with violent crimes, and he emphasizes the need for intensive supervision and services.