KNOXVILLE, TENN. — The Tennessee General Assembly passed a $58 billion state budget last week that includes $20 million to upgrade juvenile detention centers, including a service center in Knox County. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs requested $10 million from the governor to support improvements at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Justice Center in Knoxville.

The juvenile center funding in Knox County will go toward upgrades to hardware, locks and surveillance cameras. Plans call for splitting the facility into two sections: one to house juveniles from surrounding counties and another to serve as a state-run assessment center for at-risk youth.

The detention center has faced investigations into the treatment of youths in custody and has experienced repeated leadership turnover. In 2025, Jacobs pressured longtime superintendent Richard Bean to resign. Bean stepped down that year, and his replacement left the position abruptly a few months later.

County commissioners approved a plan to transfer oversight of the facility to Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin. Under the plan, Irwin will oversee daily operations while working alongside a newly created seven-member board that includes mental health and legal experts, along with political appointees.

The $20 million in state funds is part of Tennessee's newly adopted budget and is directed at juvenile detention centers across the state, with Knox County identified as one of the recipients. The Richard L. Bean Juvenile Justice Center serves as a regional facility, and the proposed split into two sections would allow it to function both as a housing unit for juveniles from surrounding counties and as a state-run assessment center for at-risk youth.