Four Democratic lawmakers from Tennessee have written to the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) demanding clarity and accountability regarding the safety and oversight of the state’s juvenile justice facilities. Their concerns stem from a recent investigation by WPLN and ProPublica, which revealed that juvenile facilities operated by businessman Jason Crews and his company, Wayne Halfway House, repeatedly failed to report incidents of abuse, injuries, and other serious events to the state as required by law. The investigation involved interviews with former staff and youth, along with a review of emergency call logs, company records, and state documents. Wayne Halfway House runs all three of Tennessee’s highest-security youth prisons. The lawmakers expressed deep concern over allegations of physical and sexual abuse, dangerous restraints, and other critical incidents that were reportedly unreported by the company. They called for an urgent, transparent, and independently verifiable response from DCS. When WPLN and ProPublica shared the lawmakers’ letter with Wayne Halfway House, the company responded by stating it “continues to meet or exceed performance standards set by Tennessee,” citing state audits. The company also highlighted that it has helped over 200 youth earn a high school diploma or equivalent in the past three years. In previous statements to the news organizations, Wayne Halfway House denied any wrongdoing, saying it follows state law and policy and “vehemently denies” that Crews or his company discouraged staff from reporting incidents to the state. It dismissed former employees who spoke with the journalists as “untrustworthy sources” with a “clear bias” against the company and called their allegations “substantially flawed.” The lawmakers have raised several specific questions, including what steps DCS is taking to address the allegations, how much the state spends on placing youth in Wayne Halfway House facilities, and who is being considered to operate new juvenile facilities under construction. They also requested a meeting with DCS leadership to review the department’s response and identify legislative or administrative actions needed to ensure child safety is not reliant on media exposure. DCS acknowledged it is investigating the findings from the report but did not comment on the lawmakers’ letter. The latest concerns come amid a history of troubling reports about juvenile justice facilities in Tennessee. Previous investigations found that a county-run detention center in East Tennessee locked children in solitary confinement in violation of state law. Following that 2023 report, the facility’s superintendent resigned, and the department pledged to address the findings. State Sen. Heidi Campbell, one of the lawmakers who signed the letter, had previously pushed for independent oversight of juvenile facilities after the East Tennessee reporting. However, a bill proposing such oversight failed in 2024 after a Wayne Halfway House lobbyist reportedly sought to exempt privately run facilities from oversight. Lawmakers are also raising concerns about the state’s increasing financial investment in juvenile justice, particularly as Tennessee plans to spend over $400 million on new facilities. They pointed out that the annual cost of housing 31 youth at a Wayne Halfway House facility is comparable to the cost of expanding grocery benefits for 700,000 school-aged children during the summer. The lawmakers emphasized that with the significant financial commitment and repeated reports of poor oversight, they are deeply troubled by the lack of transparency and accountability in the system.