Fact check
“Police reports of violent juvenile crimes in Tennessee have increased since 2013.”
Reasoning
The claim is directly supported by the provided evidence. The ProPublica article cites a state‑commissioned study indicating an increase in police reports of violent juvenile offenses (including murder, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft, and firearm‑related crimes) beginning in 2013. No contradictory evidence is presented.
On confidence: Both excerpts from the same ProPublica article directly state that police reports of violent juvenile crimes in Tennessee have increased since 2013.
Important context
The increase refers to police reports, not necessarily arrests or convictions. The article notes that arrests have declined for most violent crimes, with murder being an exception where arrests rose.
Evidence
Supporting (2)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceTennessee to Spend Millions on New Youth Prisons Despite Juvenile Crime Drop — ProPublica
committing more violent crimes. But fewer are entering the juvenile justice system. To explain its need for more youth prisons, Tennessee’s DCS points to a recent state-commissioned study . It shows that police reports of violent juvenile…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceTennessee to Spend Millions on New Youth Prisons Despite Juvenile Crime Drop — ProPublica
juvenile crimes in Tennessee — including murder, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft and crimes with firearms — have increased since 2013. But not every report results in an arrest, for a number of reasons; multiple people might call…
Limitations
The evidence comes from a single source (ProPublica) summarizing a state‑commissioned study; the original data set is not provided, so verification is limited to the reporting in the article.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:37 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Across the Country, Youth Prisons Are Closing. This State Is Building More.ProPublica · Paige Pfleger