MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Faith leaders and juvenile justice advocates in Memphis are demanding answers and better treatment for young people held at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center.
In a letter dated Thursday and released to the public Wednesday, the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis and nine other organizations demand answers from Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner over a list of serious concerns about the Youth Justice and Education Center.
Those reported concerns are the contention that parents have not been allowed to meet with their children in person or through video, kids in the center are not getting the mandatory minimum four hours of education a day (and that it does not equate to public school education) and the children are not being allowed to go outside.
During the center’s grand opening in Nov. 2023, the sheriff’s office said education and rehabilitation would be the center’s priorities, emphasizing their plan for education, job training and mental health services.
“It really does contradict what the promises were and the conversations that the sheriff had,” said Cardell Orrin, executive director for Stand for Children - Tennessee, one of the groups represented in the letter.
Shelby County Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner said many of the reported issues are due low staffing.
“Right now, the population at the juvenile [center] is a challenge for us,” he said. “I think, recently the number said it was 110 children. We did not plan for that many children to be within the youth detention center.”
In that case, Orrin asks why the county renovated and opened the larger (86,000 square feet), 146-bed facility in the first place.
“They actually went into and built this in detention center to be bigger and with more beds,” he said. “And the trend, especially with the former D.A. and juvenile court judge, was around the same number [of young people], 90 to 100 [in the justice center].”
When it comes to visitation, Chief Deputy Buckner said they’re also still waiting on juvenile court.
“The hang-up right now is making sure we understand from the court who they allow to visit these youth in custody,” he said.
But Orrin said visitation problems have been ongoing.
“They have yet to put a process in place since COVID, since the pandemic, to be able to allow visitation again, even to the point of video visitation,” he said.
In a letter responding to the group’s concerns, Sheriff Bonner said they want to work with advocacy groups to make sure they’re providing the best care for young people.
Shirley Bondon, executive director for the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, isn't convinced.
“I think the response is troubling and that the sheriff acknowledges everything that we allege is probably accurate,” she said. “But he doesn’t…revisit my request to come in and meet with the young people.”
The sheriff's office said their staffing compliment comes out to one staff member for every eight children (when awake).
Community group leaders said they have spoken with some parents who are afraid to speak publicly on these issues for fear of retaliation.
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