County OKs contracts to house out-of-county juveniles, raises daily rate to $200

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The Williamson County Commission approved agreements Tuesday allowing the county’s juvenile detention center to accept juveniles from Cannon, Madison and Smith counties at $200 per day.

Judge (first name not provided in transcript) Guffey explained the contracts and said the county increased its daily rate for out-of-county placements to $200, up from $125. “We have increased our daily rate to $200 with all of our county contracts,” Judge Guffey said. The judge also said out-of-county placements are typically short — often a few days — and the county does not add staff to accommodate those placements.

The contracts are interlocal agreements that formalize the county’s ability to accept youth from other jurisdictions on an as-needed basis. The Cannon County contract (Resolution 5 25 41) was moved by Commissioner Megan Guffey and seconded by Commissioner Judy Herbert; the motion passed with 23 yes votes. Similar motions and votes carried for Madison County (moved by Commissioner Judy Herbert, seconded by Commissioner Jennifer Mason) and Smith County (moved by Commissioner Steve Smith, seconded by Commissioner Judy Herbert), each recorded as passing with 23 yes votes.

Why it matters: Tennessee has a mix of counties with and without juvenile detention centers. Many counties without local detention capacity rely on contracts with neighboring counties. Judge Guffey said the contracts limit county liability for medical expenses and require transporting counties to bear transport responsibilities.

Commission discussion focused on frequency and cost recovery. Judge Guffey said year-to-date collections for out-of-county placements totaled about $26,000 and that the increase to $200 per day covers county costs without adding additional staffing.

Next steps: The contracts are effective immediately; county staff will monitor utilization and revenue to ensure the new rate covers costs.