KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County leaders say the juvenile detention facility has made progress in recent months, even as questions continue following the interim director’s resignation and a state report identifying more than 90 safety issues.
Interim director Brian Bivens stepped down over the weekend after telling county leaders he had only been able to fix a small number of the state’s 94 findings. He described the facility as “neither safe nor secure,” raising new questions about the conditions inside the center.
Knox County Chief of Staff Dwight Van de Vate pushed back on Thursday, saying state regulators have not deemed the facility unsafe and that the county has made significant improvements since July…