The Tennessee General Assembly on Monday passed legislation that would see families of juvenile offenders fined for repeated criminal acts and teenage thieves charged as adults, with the bills now headed to Governor Bill Lee for final approval.
The Juvenile Organized Retail Theft Act, SB 2573, mandates that punishments for organized retail theft and car break-ins resulting in the theft of more than $1,000 worth of goods must be considered a Class E felony, which carries a sentence of at least one year in prison. The bill would additionally apply to juvenile defendants who are at least 15.
A second bill, the Parental Accountability Act or SB 2571, would allow juvenile court judges to fine the families of juvenile defendants $1,000 per additional crime after their initial arrest.
State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), who sponsored both bills, celebrated their passing with a post to the social media platform X.
“The Parental Accountability Act will allow Juvenile Court Judges to require parents to pay restitution to law enforcement agencies up to $1,000 for every subsequent criminal act after their child is arrested for a crime,” said Taylor.
He explained, “We have too many juveniles out on our streets routinely committing crimes when they should have been at home,” and said the legislation “will hold parents accountable” and “incentivize parents to monitor their children and contact law enforcement if needed.”
Taylor additionally wrote that the Juvenile Organized Retail Theft Act targets smash-and-grab robberies and car break-ins, targeting “two major crimes we are experiencing in Memphis.”
“When I ran to be your Senator, I told you that tackling our crime problem was my first priority,” wrote Taylor. “I don’t take your trust lightly and work every day to pass legislation to tackle crime so our families can flourish.”
The legislation was unveiled last month as part of Taylor’s push to fight crime and “Make Memphis Matter.”
“We, members of the General Assembly, are in a position to save our vibrant and diverse city from certain ruin. But, we must act now,” Taylor stated when announcing his legislative agenda.
During an appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show days prior, Taylor suggested 2024 may present the last opportunity to prevent Memphis from becoming a “failed city.”
“I’ve had other senators from other parts of the state down,” Taylor told Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star.
He explained, “And every one of them have come away and said, ‘I knew you had a crime problem in Memphis, but I had no idea it was this bad.’ And so I’ve gotten commitments from all of them to help me with bills that will make an impact in Memphis and Shelby County.”
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.me.