KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – A new report on the Knox County Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center recommended a number of changes.
The report was requested by Knox County’s Chief Operating Officer Dwight Van de Vate due to ongoing issues at the facility.
The assessment of the center was conducted by County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), and the 98 page report was presented to Juvenile Board of Directors at Tuesday’s meeting.
Jim Heart with CTAS said in the report that the study discusses current staffing needs, scheduling of staff, basic operations, review of policies and procedures and a review of Tennessee’s minimum standards for juvenile detention centers.
Interim Juvenile Center Director Brian Bivens worked with the assessment team when they visited the center in early August of this year.
This comes after the center’s namesake, then-director Richard Bean, fired two employees in retaliation for submitting complaints to the state and prompted Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs to say he had “no confidence” in the center’s leadership back in May.
Heart said in the report that in Tennessee, there are limited beds for juvenile detention. Statewide, there are only 549 beds, including the 120 beds at the Bean Center in Knox County.
Additionally, Heather Helton with DCS told Heart in the assessment process that “this facility has not met licensing requirements since 2023.”
The report also said on August 11 that the assessment team found the control room operator and security shift on duty had all doors opened from the vehicle sally port “so not to be bothered with having to unlock doors.”
Heart said in the report there were also issues with in-service training at the center with incomplete records showing if staff had attended required training.
The assessment team also found case of property and valuables of residents no longer in custody and not returned.
Heart also said in the report that the center needs to evaluate the scheduling of staff and overtime. In 2024, the center logged 7,700 hours of overtime and over 4,500 hours so far in 2025.
Bivens and the juvenile detention staff have already begun implementing new initiatives, procedures, and refining practices, Heart said.
The assessment team has made made nine pages of recommendations for changes at the center to Knox County in the report.
In November of 2023, 14 Tennessee state lawmakers had requested immediate action into the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Center after claims it breaks state law.
To view the report, please go to: 939718088-2025-Knox-County-Juvenile-Detention-Assessment
