KNOXVILLE, TN (Story courtesy of WVLT) – The Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center is “not safe, nor is it secure,” according to Brian Bivens, the center’s former interim director.
At the end of May, Jacobs announced that Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin had said reports filed against Bean accused him of firing two employees who had sounded the alarm at the state level over the center’s operation. Bean later resigned his position, prompting the county to begin transitioning the center’s operation to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Part of that takeover plan was appointing Bivens, who previously served as the head of the county’s jail, as interim juvenile detention center director. He quit the job in early November, and now we know why.
In stark contrast, Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay said Monday that the center was operating fine.
“We have great confidence in the leadership team and staff at the juvenile service center and look forward to building upon the good work that has been done since July 1,” he said. “The facility is safe, secure and being well managed.”
Jay is part of the center’s recently-appointed board of directors. That board is set to meet Thursday at 2 p.m. to discuss the next steps for the county’s takeover. That said, several opponents to the county’s takeover, including a Tennessee representative, have called for the sheriff’s office to halt the transition. It’s a sentiment Bivens appears to agree with.
“In light of the County’s failure to make good on its commitment to these children and to this community, I could not, in good conscience, remain involved,” his statement said.
Bivens’ full statement is below:
