Deputy director outlines Juvenile Justice Review Commission’s statutory duties and confidential case review process

Craig Hargrow, who identified himself as working for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (the chair later referred to him as Deputy Director Hargrow), briefed the subcommittee on the juvenile justice review commission’s scope and process. Hargrow said the commission must review an appropriate sample of cases where a youth has a second or subsequent adjudication or where a single adjudication involves a systemic concern; permissive review categories include escapes, aggression toward staff, self-harm, allegations of abuse by DCS staff, and need for inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Hargrow told members the statute requires the commission to produce a first full report by Jan. 1, 2028 and a progress report by Jan. 1, 2027. He described the commission’s access to information as strong and said that all material received will remain confidential and that members sign confidentiality agreements: “All the information that we obtain, it remains confidential. If it was confidential when they sent it, it's confidential when we receive it.” The committee thanked him and adjourned after brief follow-ups.