Tennessee Plans New Youth Prisons Despite National Decline in Juvenile Incarceration

Tennessee has budgeted $360 million for two new youth facilities with up to 256 beds, even as many states close such prisons and juvenile crime falls. State officials say they lack enough space for youths ordered into custody, citing mental health and staffing needs. Experts argue the expansion contradicts research showing youth prisons do not rehabilitate young people.

Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services has budgeted $360 million for two youth facilities, adding as many as 256 beds. Construction is set to begin this fall, with openings expected in 2028 and 2029. Nationally, the number of highest-security juvenile facilities fell more than 40% from 2000 to 2022.

Officials say capacity is exhausted and high-security beds are unavailable, sometimes requiring overnight placement in temporary sites such as offices. They cite specialized mental health needs and staffing shortages. Although Tennessee’s juvenile arrests and system entries have declined, a state-commissioned study found more police reports of violent juvenile offenses since 2013; murder arrests rose from 15 in 2013 to 26 in 2024, still below a 2018 peak.