Podcast Summary
Elementary School Children Arrested for Minor Offenses in Rutherford County, Tennessee: Reporter Maribah Knight uncovered alarming trend of arresting elementary school children for minor offenses in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Children as young as 7 were handcuffed, shackled, and taken to juvenile detention for accompanying older siblings or witnessing fights.
In Rutherford County, Tennessee, arrests of elementary school children for minor offenses, such as watching a fight or tagging along with older siblings, are not uncommon. Reporter Maribah Knight uncovered this alarming trend while investigating a local story about a group of 11 kids who were arrested for a skirmish between a 56-year-old and an 8-year-old. Knight discovered that these types of arrests have been happening for years in the county. In her new podcast series, "The Kids of Rutherford County," produced with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, she delves deeper into why this is the case. One of the children, Brandon, was only 7 years old when he was arrested and held in detention overnight for accompanying his older brothers who had wrestled in a vacant duplex and left some holes in the drywall. These children were treated like criminals, handcuffed and shackled, and taken to the juvenile detention center. The show, which consists of four episodes, will be released starting October 26th. Listeners are encouraged to follow the podcast to receive each episode as it's released.
Long-standing issue of arresting children in Rutherford County: Despite knowing the issue, normalization made it hard to challenge the system and bring change for children illegally detained for minor offenses
Rutherford County, Tennessee, had a long-standing issue of arresting and detaining children for minor offenses, often illegally. Brandon's story, though not unique, highlights this issue. Despite knowing the problem, some insiders wanted to bring change. However, the normalization and acceptance of this system made it challenging to rally others to act. From Serial Productions and The New York Times, "The Kids of Rutherford County" uncovers this system's origins and the courageous efforts of those who sought to challenge it. For many, it's a story that feels surreal yet actually happened.