Categories Developmental disabilities, Equity Issues, Health, Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Reform, Racial Justice/DMC
What would it look like if Tennessee’s juvenile justice system prioritized strengthening families, connecting youth to their home communities, and creating safe environments that promote healing, growth, and being held accountable for one’s actions? Instead, Tennessee’s youth continue to suffer, primarily Black youth with disabilities. Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) and Youth Law Center (YLC) remain concerned about the safety of youth in Tennessee’s juvenile justice facilities like Wilder Youth Development Center. The A Call to Action: Advancing Tennessee’s Juvenile Justice System to Strengthen Families, Communities, and Oversight report offers research-based action steps to overhaul Tennessee’s juvenile justice system. This third report builds on Disability Rights Tennessee and the Youth Law Center’s first two reports, Designed to Fail and Families Not Facilities, to offer solutions related to Tennessee’s juvenile justice system, which is overseen by the Department of Children’s Services.
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