Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-189
This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-189, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Telephone call and visitation procedures for juveniles admitted to juvenile detention facilities
Official statutory text
(a) A child who has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, must be allowed at least one (1) telephone call with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and one (1) thirty-minute in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian within twenty-four (24) hours after the child is admitted to the juvenile detention facility. The telephone call and in-person visit required by this subsection (a) must occur as soon as practical after the request has been made by the parent, guardian, or legal custodian to the juvenile detention facility, however, the telephone call or in-person visit may be delayed by the detention facility for no more than six (6) hours if the child is subject to disciplinary action. If the juvenile detention facility delays contact to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian, the detention facility must explain the actions of the child which resulted in the contact being timely withheld. (b) During the time period following the first twenty-four (24) hours a child has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, but prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, a child must be allowed at least three (3) separate telephone calls with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and one (1) in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian per week. (c) This section applies to juvenile detention facilities approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's services, including youth development centers. Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 866,s 1, eff. 5/1/2024.
(a) A child who has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, must be allowed at least one (1) telephone call with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and one (1) thirty-minute in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian within twenty-four (24) hours after the child is admitted to the juvenile detention facility. The telephone call and in-person visit required by this subsection (a) must occur as soon as practical after the request has been made by the parent, guardian, or legal custodian to the juvenile detention facility, however, the telephone call or in-person visit may be delayed by the detention facility for no more than six (6) hours if the child is subject to disciplinary action. If the juvenile detention facility delays contact to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian, the detention facility must explain the actions of the child which resulted in the contact being timely withheld.
(b) During the time period following the first twenty-four (24) hours a child has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, but prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, a child must be allowed at least three (3) separate telephone calls with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and one (1) in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian per week.
(c) This section applies to juvenile detention facilities approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's services, including youth development centers.
Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 866,s 1, eff. 5/1/2024.
(a) A child who has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, must be allowed at least one (1) telephone call with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and one (1) thirty-minute in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian within twenty-four (24) hours after the child is admitted to the juvenile detention facility. The telephone call and in-person visit required by this subsection (a) must occur as soon as practical after the request has been made by the parent, guardian, or legal custodian to the juvenile detention facility, however, the telephone call or in-person visit may be delayed by the detention facility for no more than six (6) hours if the child is subject to disciplinary action. If the juvenile detention facility delays contact to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian, the detention facility must explain the actions of the child which resulted in the contact being timely withheld.
(b) During the time period following the first twenty-four (24) hours a child has been admitted to a juvenile detention facility, but prior to being adjudicated for an alleged delinquent act, a child must be allowed at least three (3) separate telephone calls with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and one (1) in-person visit with the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian per week.
(c) This section applies to juvenile detention facilities approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's services, including youth development centers.
Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 866,s 1, eff. 5/1/2024.
Status: in_force
Need a lawyer in Tennessee?
Find a Tennessee lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.