Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc.

What Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. does

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates peer-led juvenile restorative justice programs across Tennessee. The organization runs 21 youth court programs in 18 Tennessee counties, serving youth referred for minor offenses primarily through local schools and juvenile courts. It was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from the Tennessee Bar Association, which had administered the program since 2000 under the Tennessee Teen Court Act of 2000.

The core operational model is the youth court hearing, in which trained youth volunteers serve as attorneys, judges, and jurors to adjudicate real cases of minor juvenile offenses. The model is volunteer-driven, with 2,400+ adult volunteers participating per quarter and over 5,000 volunteer hours contributed. Since 2000, more than 15,900 youth have been served and 4,500+ cases adjudicated, with a reported 4.5% recidivism rate among participants. The program has received formal recognition from Vanderbilt University's Center for Safe and Supportive Schools and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Revenue is generated through two streams: donations collected via Flipcause and Zeffy online platforms, and $50 per-case program fees from referring entities (typically schools or courts). The organization is led by Executive Director Denise Bentley, with Ken Hinman serving as Board Chair. Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and operates as a community-based nonprofit rather than a venture-funded or acquisition-oriented entity.

Name

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc.

Legal name

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc.

Website

https://tnyouthcourts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 21 peer-led youth court programs across 18 Tennessee counties, providing restorative justice for juvenile offenders with a 4.5% recidivism rate through 2,400+ quarterly volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Juvenile Justice Diversion Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG)

Keywords

• Juvenile justice diversion
• Restorative justice programs
• Youth court services
• Delinquency prevention programs
• Peer adjudication programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Maryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds through donations to continue its mission and growth. Accepts online donations through Flipcause and mail-in checks.
2. Program Fees: The cost for a child to go through the youth court program is approximately $50 per case, significantly lower than the $150/night cost of holding a child in jail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. operates juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention diversion programs based on restorative justice principles. Teen volunteers serve as jurors, advocates, and court officers to decide sentences for peer offenders who admit to minor offenses. The organization supports 21 youth court programs in 18 Tennessee counties, providing funding, training, technical assistance, site visits, and data collection to school- and juvenile court-based programs.

Product overview

Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc. offers a single unified program—the Youth Court Program—which is a juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention diversion program based on restorative justice. The core program is supported by Youth Volunteer Training, Adult Volunteer Training and Support, Technical Assistance, and Data Collection services. Teen volunteers operate courts as jurors, advocates, and court officers under adult supervision, deciding sentences for peer offenders. The organization supports programs in 18 Tennessee counties, serving over 2,000 students annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Recidivism rate reduced to 4.5%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Metro Nashville Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee Youth Court is changing lives through a partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, expanding youth court programs in Nashville-area schools.
• Vanderbilt University's Center for Safe and Supportive Schools (S3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdentified Tennessee Youth Courts as one of five promising programs operating in Tennessee, providing research validation and academic endorsement.
• U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognizes youth/teen court programs as evidence-based and considered model programs, providing federal validation of the approach.
• Tennessee Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor sixteen years, the Tennessee Bar Association fostered the development of Teen Courts by working with local courts and providing training and organizational development. This partnership laid the foundation before Tennessee Youth Courts became an independent organization in 2017.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Florida Teen Court Association: Statewide network supporting teen court programs across Florida counties. Closely comparable model — a state-level umbrella for local juvenile diversion courts — but operating in Florida rather than Tennessee.
• Texas Juvenile Justice Department - Diversion Programs: State agency administering juvenile justice diversion and community-based programs in Texas. Comparable in function as a funder/operator of diversion alternatives for non-violent juvenile offenders, though government-operated rather than nonprofit-led like TYC.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ): Member organization that provides training, technical assistance, and standards for juvenile courts and judges nationwide. Comparable as an entity that convenes juvenile justice stakeholders and drives adoption of problem-solving and diversion approaches like youth courts.
• Impact Justice: National nonprofit advancing criminal and juvenile justice reform, including diversion and alternatives to incarceration programs. Comparable as a mission-aligned organization operating juvenile justice diversion initiatives and competing for similar philanthropic and federal grants.
• Center for Court Innovation: National nonprofit that designs and operates problem-solving and restorative courts across the U.S., including youth-focused models. Comparable to Tennessee Youth Courts as a non-government operator of diversionary court programs serving juvenile populations and partnering with schools and courts.
• National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ): National membership organization promoting restorative justice practice, including in school and juvenile justice settings. Comparable as a peer-network and advocacy body operating in the same conceptual space as Tennessee Youth Courts' restorative-justice based program.

Others

• Pretrial Justice Institute: Nonprofit focused on pretrial and diversion reforms across the justice system. Comparable as an adjacent organization that influences funding and policy around alternatives to incarceration, including juvenile diversion programs like youth courts.

Emerging players

• Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY): Oakland-based nonprofit delivering restorative justice practices for youth in schools and the justice system. Comparable mission and pedagogy (restorative justice, peer-driven accountability) with a similar youth-court-adjacent population focus.

Direct peers

• Multnomah County Juvenile Court - Youth Court & Diversion Programs: Multnomah County, Oregon operates a youth court/diversion program with similar teen-volunteer-run panels for first-time juvenile offenders. Directly comparable as a county-level juvenile justice diversion alternative to traditional court processing.
• Florida-based local teen courts (e.g., Palm Beach County Teen Court): Counties such as Palm Beach operate school-based teen courts in which youth volunteers hear cases of first-time juvenile offenders. Functionally identical operating model to Tennessee Youth Courts' county programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TNYouthCourts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-youth-courts-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/tnyouthcourts
• TikToktiktok.com/@tnyouthcourts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc.