In 2023, Paige Pfleger, a reporter for WPLN/Nashville Public Radio and member of our Local Reporting Network, published a story about Richard L. Bean, the longtime superintendent of an East Tennessee juvenile detention center that bears his name. Pfleger found that the detention center had been punishing kids with seclusion more than any other facility in Tennessee.
At the time, Bean said: “What we do is treat everybody like they’re in here for murder. You don’t have a problem if you do that.” This, despite the fact that, as Pfleger reported, “Most of the children in the Bean Center are not in for murder — in fact, most have only been charged with a crime, but are awaiting court dates.” Bean defended the practices at the facility, saying that he wished he had more punitive abilities and that people who pushed back didn’t understand what was necessary.
Last Friday, Bean announced that he will step down. His decision to retire came the day after the Knox County mayor said he had lost confidence in Bean’s leadership. Renewed scrutiny on the detention center began when Bean dismissed two employees, including the facility’s only nurse. The mayor described her dismissal as “retaliation” because she had reported to state investigators significant issues with medical care at the facility, which she said went unchecked and unaddressed by Bean. Bean did not respond to requests for comment but said in a press release that his last day will be Aug. 1.
