Sen. Raumesh Akbari says DCS must answer for violations in ‘damning’ ProPublica report

MEMPHIS — Following a bombshell report from ProPublica alleging that a state-licensed youth detention facility in Knoxville is flagrantly violating state law on juvenile detentions, Senate minority leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, said the Department of Children’s Services must respond to the allegations.

Sen. Raumesh Akbari’s full statement:

“The Department of Children’s Services needs to answer for the alleged violations of state law made in this damning report by ProPublica. Juvenile jailers may not agree with state detention policy, but they have a duty to carry out the law. And the Department has an obligation to make sure state-licensed facilities are in compliance and acting in the best interest of children in their custody.

“Our youth desperately need better outcomes from our juvenile justice system, but we can’t get there if the Department won’t hold state-licensed detention facilities accountable for following the law.”