The Knox County Sheriff’s Office could take over the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center as soon as January 1st next year, according to a letter from the county’s COO.
Dwight Van de Vate has presented a letter to the Knox County Commission which outlines a timeline for the center’s transition, which was prompted by allegations that the center’s namesake director, Richard L. Bean, had fired two employees for filing complaints with the state about how the center was run.
The timeline proposes the county commission approve an emergency ordinance aimed at putting Sheriff Tom Spangler at the head of the juvenile detention center this month, then appointing an interim superintendent on July 1st.
The proposal would also dissolve the current leadership at the center, its board of trustees, on June 30 and appointing a five-member board of directors. That board would be made up of four commissioners and one member, appointed by the acting juvenile court judge.
The letter also directly references concerns from the county commission about rushing into a new leadership model too quickly. The letter claims any agreement with KCSO be temporary, lasting 18 months between January 1st next year and June 30, 2027, with an option to extend.
