WSB/4/5
Sponsored by Paige Leusink, Kelly Slade of Franklin High School
This legislation was filed in the Childrens Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act are defined as follows: |
| 4 | a) Youth- A person under eighteen (18) years of age or a person under nineteen (19) years of age |
| 5 | in custody of the Department of Children’s Services or remaining under the jurisdiction of the |
| 6 | juvenile court. |
| 7 | b) DCS- The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. |
| 8 | c) Administrator- The director of the Temporary Holding Resource or the Juvenile Detention |
| 9 | Center. |
| 10 | d) Facility- A Temporary Holding Resource or Juvenile Detention Center. |
| 11 | e) Staff- Full time and part time employees of a juvenile detention centre or temporary holding |
| 12 | resource. |
| 13 | f) Grievance- A report made by youth, staff, or administrators detailing wrongs done to the youth, |
| 14 | staff, or administrators. |
| 15 | g) Social Worker- A person whose job is to help people in a particular area who have social |
| 16 | disadvantages or personal problems. |
| 17 | h) Grievance System- The place where written and recorded complaints about the facility can be |
| 18 | submitted by youth or staff. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Section 2: All youths will receive a verbal and written explanation in their native language from a |
| 21 | social worker on how to submit grievances before being admitted to the facility. These |
| 22 | explanations will be repeated until the youth confirms that they understand how the grievance |
| 23 | system works. There will be a written guide in multiple languages and multiple accessible locations |
| 24 | throughout the facility. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Section 3: Youths will be allowed to ask for assistance from a staff member or administrator of |
| 27 | their choice if they need help submitting a grievance. Youths will have access to resources outside |
| 28 | of the facility if need be. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Section 4: Grievance investigations shall not be carried out by staff or administrators within the |
| 31 | facility or anyone directly involved in the life of the child. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Section 5: The grievance system will be located in an area that is accessible to the youth at all |
| 34 | times |
| 35 | a) Electronic components of the grievance system will be running at all times |
| 36 | b) Writing implements of the grievance system will be available at all times |
| 37 | c) Writing implements to fill out grievance forms shall be available in multiple languages at the |
| 38 | |
| 39 | d) Areas with grievance systems may include but are not limited to: libraries, school rooms, and |
| 40 | lodging areas |
| 41 | |
| 42 | Section 6: The facility will have no way of tracking which youth have submitted grievances. |
| 43 | a) All cameras that show footage of the grievance system will ensure the anonymity of anyone |
| 44 | submitting a grievance before being shown to staff or administrators. |
| 45 | b) Staff or administrators will not have a way to read or listen to submitted grievances. |
| 46 | c) Any staff or administrators will not be notified in any way unless an investigation is being held. |
| 47 | d) Any staff or administrators involved in the investigation will not be notified until the |
| 48 | investigation takes place. |
| 49 | e) The time that a grievance was submitted will not be reported to staff or administrators. |
| 50 | |
| 51 | Section 7: The grievance system will include an electronic system and writing implements to |
| 52 | choose between when reporting a grievance. |
| 53 | a) Any written grievances will be collected by staff outside of the facility. |
| 54 | b) Electronic grievances will be sent directly to a child’s social worker and government or family |
| 55 | representative. |
| 56 | |
| 57 | Section 8: Each facility will have a ratio of 1 counsellor to 50 youths, with exceptions when |
| 58 | necessary. In John S. Wilder Youth Development Center and Mountain View Youth Development |
| 59 | Center there will be a ratio of 1 counsellor to every 10-15 youths. |
| 60 | a) Any privately run centres must provide the counsellor’s salary separate from the state. |
| 61 | b) Each counsellor will receive a salary of $60,000 per year and lodging in the facility if desired. |
| 62 | c) These counsellors will be aware of the rights of the youth and how to guide them through the |
| 63 | grievance process. |
| 64 | d) At least one of these counsellors will be available at all times and will ensure that the student |
| 65 | remains anonymous. |
| 66 | |
| 67 | Section 9: If the facility in question does not abide by these laws it will be closed until state |
| 68 | regulators can assure compliance |
| 69 | |
| 70 | Section 10: This bill requires $900,000 annually to pay for counsellors to be implemented in youth |
| 71 | detention centres across the state. |
| 72 | |
| 73 | Section 11: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 74 | |
| 75 | Section 12: This act shall take effect January 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
| 76 |