Juvenile detention – Memphis Flyer

Community partners are urging the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Youth Detention Center to be transparent about their decision to stop transportation of youth to court, and their decision to transition Youth Justice and Education Center (YJEC) operations to the Juvenile Court.

An open letter issued on behalf of youth justice and community organizations asked Sheriff Floyd Bonner to address these issues, while also shedding light on how these decisions affect both young people and the community.

“Just days before Juvenile Court resumed operations following a five-month closure, the Sheriff’s Office announced it would no longer transport youth to court hearings, forcing an emergency shift to virtual proceedings,” advocates said. “This decision comes amid ongoing disputes about the sheriff’s unilateral announcement to transfer detention center operations to Juvenile Court by December 2024, despite mid-budget cycle constraints and the need for proper transition planning.”

In October, it was announced that juvenile court would remain virtual due to lack of transportation from deputies. Prior to this, Juvenile Court was closed in April for “remedial work.”

Ala’a Alattiyat, youth justice coordinator of the Youth Justice Action Coalition, emphasized that these decisions negatively impact the youth and their families.

“When we deny youth proper court access and rush critical transitions without adequate planning, we’re not just affecting their legal rights —we’re sending a message about how little we value their future opportunities.”

Aries Newton, government affairs director of Stand For Children, called the December 2024 deadline “arbitrary and hasty” and said these choices seem to prioritize convenience over wellbeing.

The four-page letter was signed by several community organizations such as Stand for Children Tennessee, Memphis For All, and Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH). Not only did the document express concern, but it included a call to action on transportation, “transition planning,” and the entire experience.

“We write with profound concern about how recent operational decisions affecting the Youth Justice and Education Center are damaging the rehabilitation and development of young people in our community,” the letter said. “The abrupt cessation of youth transportation services and rushed timeline for transitioning the detention center reflect choices that not only violate constitutional protections but, more critically, threaten to create a cycle of disconnection and recidivism that impacts all of Shelby County.”

Advocates emphasize that the obstacle of transportation affects multiple facets of the rehabilitation process. The letter asserted that familial connections and “comprehensive support” can reduce recidivism rates according to research.

They went on to state that when the YJEC was built, it was meant to be a place for “rehabilitation and hope.” It represented a $30 million investment that included a kitchen, computer lab, and outdoor spaces for “young people to develop skills and envision different futures for themselves.”

The letter also advocates for expanded in-person visitation, activated educational and vocational facilities, wellness programming, mental health and counseling support, and more. According to the letter, the decision to not be intentional about facility operations sends a negative message to the youth and implies that they don’t matter.

Earlier this year, a different letter was sent from a consortium of organizations urging Bonner to address these changes. Their biggest concern was their decision not to allow in-person visitation, while also criticizing the fact that their education did not parallel mainstream public schools.

Another major point of concern is the December deadline, as the current budget cycle doesn’t allow for proper funding.

“Your office’s threat of litigation regarding budget modifications creates further barriers to proper resource allocation,” the letter said. “The transition timeline doesn’t align with the fiscal year, creating funding gaps that could compromise youth services.”

In addition to being sent to Bonner, Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, and the Shelby County Commission, and other partners are cc’d on the letter.

Shelby County officials are coming under fresh pressure to deal with education deficiencies in the juvenile-justice system, where advocates say not enough young people who are detained are regularly attending school or learning what they need to graduate.

A group of those advocates sent a letter this week to Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, warning about the low rates of school attendance, and demanding improved conditions for youth in detention, beyond just their education.

The county’s Juvenile Court has known about the issues at the county’s Youth Justice and Education Center, and at the school inside, called Hope Academy. A consultant it worked with to identify issues facing youth in the facilities reported that just half of them were attending school each day, and that course offerings weren’t comprehensive enough to give students the classes they need to graduate, according to Stephanie Hill, the court’s chief administrative officer.

The findings were also shared with the Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium last fall.

But the problems raised by the consultants, from BreakFree Education, can’t easily be solved without collaboration between the sheriff’s office, which oversees the detention center, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which operates the school.

Youth crime has been at the center of public discussion in Memphis and across Tennessee. Arrests of young people are down over the past decade, but more of them involve gun-related crimes that draw added law enforcement attention.

Meanwhile, detention facilities in Tennessee have faced intense scrutiny for failing to provide appropriate care to young people. In detention centers like Shelby County’s, where detainees have not yet been tried, missed school days put students who are already facing challenges outside of class at a greater disadvantage for long-term success.

Cardell Orrin, who leads Stand for Children Tennessee, one of the organizations that signed the letter, said part of the issue with improving youth attendance at school is knowing which agency to approach.

“Whose responsibility is it, and then how are they held accountable?” Orrin told Chalkbeat.

In a reply to the organizations, Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon said that staffing issues at the facility have contributed to low school attendance rates of 50 percent to 60 percent, much lower than the court’s goal of 90 percent.

Bonner wrote in his own response that the 110 youth currently there were “far more than we had ever expected or planned for.” Instead, he said, 40 to 60 youth were expected to be in the facility.

Sugarmon called that “erroneous,” pointing out that the facility was newly built to accommodate some 140 youth. “It appears there are no physical facilities limits to school attendance,” he wrote.

The young people detained at the center are awaiting trial, and the number of students can vary day-to-day as trials progress.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools told Chalkbeat that it plans to keep working with the court and sheriff’s office to address concerns about Hope Academy. Marie Feagins, who took over as MSCS superintendent on Monday, toured the school last week, and said in a video interview that leaders should consider strengthening rehabilitative programs and expanding opportunities within the facility.

“When I think about education and the power thereof, it’s important to make sure that education, a quality education and experience, to the degree possible, is happening in all of our spaces and places,” she said, pledging to return often to speak with Hope Academy students.

Beyond the education issues, the advocacy groups said they wanted the sheriff to address complaints that youth aren’t allowed outdoors, and parents are being denied in-person visits with their children in detention.

They also said efforts to collect research that would improve programming for youth have been stymied by the sheriff’s office.

Shirley Bondon, the executive director of the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, is hoping to conduct research with the youth at the facility to help improve their access to effective diversion programs, as an alternative to detention, and also get a better understanding of what youth need.

“Part of that research requires me to talk to youth in detention and have them complete a survey and get their perspective about why crime occurs, and what resources they need to keep them out of trouble,” Bondon told Chalkbeat.

“We need to scale those programs, and those programs need more funding,” she added. “We also found that the programs often aren’t evidence-based and don’t collect the correct data.”

Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.