Representative Gant Key in Securing $185 Million Wilder Youth Center Upgrade
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Representative Ron Gant, R-Piperton, has helped secure $185 million in state funding for the John S. Wilder Youth Development Center in Fayette County.
The funds will be used to replace the current Wilder Development Center with two new, purpose-built facilities on the current site in Somerville, which is operated by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS). The improved campus will offer 96 beds, with DCS expecting to expand to 144 beds in the future.
“These funds will provide a much-needed overhaul of the Wilder Youth Development Center,” said Representative Gant. “The new campus seeks to offer true rehabilitation through constructive and compassionate services and treatment. I’m grateful to Governor Bill Lee and my legislative colleagues for supporting this important investment and helping ensure youth in Tennessee have the opportunity to become productive members of society.”
The department will continue to operate the Wilder Youth Development Center throughout the construction process, which is set for 2027. The upgraded campus seeks to offer individualized rehabilitation and long-term success through trauma-informed programming, on-site job training, educational opportunities, and comprehensive medical, behavioral health and counseling services.
The appropriated funds are part of a $59.8 billion balanced budget passed by lawmakers in April. Republican priorities include significant investments to improve academic outcomes, provide disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Helene, enhance public safety for all Tennesseans and increase funding to address transportation infrastructure needs.
Lawmakers allocated $378 million in new investments for public safety initiatives in the first session of the 114th General Assembly. Budget initiatives include $175 million for public safety grants, $38 million to fund 116 new positions with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and $30 million for additional violent crime intervention grants.
Tennessee ranks 7th in the nation for the fewest incarcerated individuals at ten per 100,000 juveniles, according to U.S. News and World Report. Statistics from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth show that between 2012 and 2022, Tennessee’s juvenile crime rate decreased by 16.8 percent.
State Representative Ron Gant represents District 94 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes Fayette, McNairy, and part of Hardeman counties.
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