NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A bill that would have allowed regular inspections at privately operated juvenile detention facilities by an independent third party will not pass this year.
The bill was a response to recent reports of abuses including solitary confinement at juvenile facilities in Tennessee. It was sponsored by Sen. Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, and had passed unanimously out of a Senate committee.
But members of the House Civil Justice Committee voted to send HB 2647 to "summer study," which is a common way of killing a bill.
Watch my investigation in the player above.
I reported the owner of a privately operated juvenile detention facility opposed the bill and has dramatically increased political donations over the last five years.
My previous reporting before it was rolled: What can big donations get you in the Tennessee legislature?
Jason Crews is co-owner of the Middle Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center in Maury County, and he is president and CEO of Wayne Halfway House, which owns several juvenile facilities.
Employees with Wayne Halfway House created a political action committee called FOCUS PAC in 2021.
Wayne Halfway House poured more than $160,000 into the PAC and is its only listed contributor.
FOCUS PAC began giving large donations to prominent lawmakers, many of whom sat on the Ad Hoc Committee on Juvenile Justice, which was formed after allegations of abuse at the state-run Wilder Youth Development Center.
Here is who got the money and by how much.
Today in the House Civil Justice Committee Majority Leader William Lamberth proposed sending the inspection bill to "summer study."
Jason Crews sent the following statement when asked about his donations:
"My personal and company political action committee financial contributions are fully disclosed and within legal requirements. Like countless other businesses and organizations, we are actively engaged in the policy-making process."
Rep. Andrew Farmer, a recipient of Crew's donations, chairs the House Civil Justice Committee.
"No contribution I take is going to influence my vote," Farmer told me.
Farmer said he just disagreed with the bill, which he called "bad policy."
He said he had a youth development center in his district, which is run by Crews and "it is run well."
Supporters of the inspection bill say juvenile detention centers need more oversight because the Department of Children's Services has not stopped solitary confinement and other abuses.
