ProPublica: Jason Crews' Tennessee youth prisons hid abuse from state
Investigative report reveals Wayne Halfway House failed to report suspected abuse and prevented 911 calls at facilities it operates.
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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 4 items across 3 sources · 3h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
What to know
- Wayne Halfway House, run by Jason Crews, operated Tennessee's highest-security youth detention centers while systematically failing to report suspected abuse to state authorities.
- A June 2024 incident in which staff encouraged youths to assault another teen was not reported to the state despite state policy requiring 24-hour notification.
- Former staff reported pressure from leadership to hide serious incidents and handle medical emergencies without calling 911 to prevent public disclosure of violence.
- The state is now investigating incidents uncovered by ProPublica and WPLN; Crews and facility management did not respond to reporter inquiries.
How it unfolded
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The investigative report, produced with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, details how Wayne Halfway House's leadership—under CEO Jason Crews—failed to report suspected abuse across multiple facilities and reduced 911 calls to prevent public knowledge of violent incidents.
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Webb saw the video and knew it violated state policy requiring notification to the state and the boy's family within 24 hours. After weeks passed with no investigation, she confronted the facility's deputy, who denied knowing about the incident.
“I know you've seen the video. Nothing's being done about it.”
Tonya Webb · Press ↗ -
ProPublica and WPLN asked Tennessee's Department of Children's Services whether it received an incident report from the facility. The department confirmed it did not. Webb later reported the incident to DCS herself.
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Surveillance footage captured a teenager in an anti-suicide smock being dragged violently by other teens across the floor, pulled over his head, and stuffed into a cell as a guard looked on and gave a thumbs-up.
What people are saying verbatim
“I know you've seen the video. Nothing's being done about it.”
Tonya Webb, Medication supervisor · ProPublica ↗
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Deputy to facility's executive director, Facility management · ProPublica ↗
“Former staff say they felt pressure to hide abuse and other serious incidents from the state and to handle medical emergencies without calling 911.”
ProPublica/WPLN, Investigative newsroom · ProPublica Bluesky ↗
“Per ex employees at Wayne Halfway House's YOUTH PRISONS, expectation to keep serious incidents/SA secret came from the top: CEO Jason Crews”
thetnholler.bsky.social, Mastodon user · Mastodon ↗
Voices from the web unedited
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NEW: Tennessee’s highest-security youth prisons are operated by a single private company. Former staff say they felt pressure to hide abuse and other serious incidents from the state and to handle medical emergencies without calling 911. with @wpln.bsky.social
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“Per ex employees at Wayne Halfway House’s YOUTH PRISONS, expectation to keep serious incidents/SA secret came from the top: CEO Jason Crews… putting kids lives at risk…” More dark, sickening revelations about TN’s for-profit penal system: