Stephanie Etheridge, juvenile court manager at the Administrative Office of the Courts, reviewed the state’s multi‑year effort to standardize juvenile court data and implement a statewide case management system.

"Back in between 2016 and really through 2021, you know, we've had a 3 branch effort to really improve overall our juvenile court data," Etheridge said, and she identified a 2021 statutory change cited in the presentation (transcript reference: TCA 37 1 1 87) that defined required data points and authorized recurring funding to create the statewide system. Etheridge said the AOC contracted with Quest to build the statewide juvenile case management system and the TN data portal.

Etheridge said Public Chapter 179 (as discussed in the meeting) requires a CJIS‑compliant centralized juvenile case management system and mandates adoption and conversion by juvenile court clerks and courts. "As of this week, we have 74 of the 98 juvenile courts on the system," she said, and noted Shelby, Davidson and Knox counties are already on the system with Shelby scheduled to go live July 1, 2026.

She described technical options for courts not yet on Quest: automatic monthly data transmission from Quest for courts already on the system; a file upload option or manual entry for courts using other local systems. Etheridge said only one juvenile court was not reporting any data to the AOC at the time of her presentation.

The presentation emphasized CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) security requirements for the centralized system and AOC responsibility for system design and maintenance. Etheridge encouraged counties interested in conversion to reach out for technical assistance and noted training and scholarship opportunities to support staff during implementation.