TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Aug 11, 2023

Gov. Bill Lee's decision to focus a special legislative session on new and stricter penalties for children and teens within Tennessee's juvenile justice system has sparked criticism from juvenile judges and youth advocates, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The plan, which could send kids to adult courts and prisons and limit confidentiality of juvenile records, does not address the root causes of violence such as occurred at the Covenant School, critics say. They also note that youth crime in the state has declined significantly.