A Nashville youth detention facility that was the focus of national media attention when more than 30 teens escaped just a few days ago is now back in the limelight, this time for a new disturbance.
Tennessee Department of Children’s Services spokesman Rob Johnson said about 20 of the teenage inmates — some of whom were involved in Monday’s break-out — refused to return to their dorm rooms on Thursday and instead wandered the campus, The Associated Press reported.
Police responding to the scene simply set up a ring around the facility to ensure nobody breached the fence and escaped, Mr. Johnson said.
This incident started Wednesday night, when teens refused to go back to their rooms. On Thursday, staff and administrators were still trying to persuade them to abide the rules and return to their rooms, Mr. Johnson said, AP reported.
“Right now, it’s kind of a fluid, active situation,” he said.
On Monday night, 32 teens escaped during a shift change, six of whom are still at large.
The facility, called the Woodland Hills Youth Development Center, has a long history of violence and sexual abuse allegations. The U.S. Department of Justice ranked the facility in 2010 as 13th on its list of juvenile centers with reports of sexual abuse by staffers, AP reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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