Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that will allow for “blended sentences” of minors who were aged at least 16 when committing a crime, meaning some juvenile offenders will receive adult sentences for their crimes.
The Tennessee Senate on Thursday passed SB 624, sponsored by Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), after the Senate version of the bill was adopted in the Tennessee State House. It now awaits a signature from Governor Bill Lee.
Taylor celebrated the passing of his legislation with posts to the social media platform X, writing, “This law will finally treat violent juveniles as adults in adult court with serious consequences.”
He explained, “Currently, juvenile sentences end at age 19 with sealed records. Juveniles who commit a violent crimes at 17 are released at age 19.
By contrast, wrote Taylor, “With blended sentencing, if the defendant commits additional crimes as a young adult, then they go straight to prison. The consequences of Blended Sentencing will be a powerful deterrent to juveniles from participating in criminal activity.”
In January, the blended sentencing bill gained the support of the Greater Memphis Chamber, who urged Lee to approve provide $50 million and approve various legislation to help confront the severe crime problem in Memphis and Shelby County.
Another bill pitched by Taylor, the Parental Accountability Act, similarly received the support of lawmakers and passed last week.
That legislation seeks to fine the parents or guardians of children who commit additional crimes after being determined delinquent or to have engaged in delinquent behavior.
After that legislation passed, Taylor argued, “This bill will hold parents accountable for the criminal acts of their children and incentivize parents to monitor their children and contact law enforcement if their child is missing or up to no good.”
Both bills were part of Taylor’s effort to Make Memphis Matter, which he unveiled earlier this year as a legislative approach to lower the city’s crime rate and improve public safety in Shelby County.
Memphis was determined to have the highest homicide rate in the United States in 2023, according to an analysis of top crime cities.
The Memphis Police Department recently confirmed the city is on pace to record nearly 400 killings by the end of this year.
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Pennsylvania Daily Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.me.
Photo “Gov Bill Lee” by Office of the Governor. Background Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by FaceMePLS. CC BY 2.0
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