Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment

Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment

A New Vision for Juvenile Justice in Nashville and Davidson County

 

The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment, known as NYCE, represents a major step forward in how Nashville and Davidson County serves young people, families, victims, and the broader community.

Located at 1354 Brick Church Pike, the new campus is being designed as a modern, trauma-informed, youth-centered facility that supports accountability, rehabilitation, public safety, and meaningful access to services. NYCE will replace the current Juvenile Justice Center at 100 Woodland Street and create a more effective environment for court operations, youth services, family engagement, and community-based support.

This project reflects the Court’s belief that young people should be held accountable in ways that also create opportunities for growth, healing, and long-term success.

About the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment

The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment is a new juvenile justice campus being developed to better serve the children, families, and communities of Nashville and Davidson County.

The campus will bring together court services, youth pre-trial housing, assessment resources, family support spaces, and community-centered programming in one coordinated environment. The goal is to create a campus that is safer, more functional, more responsive, and more aligned with best practices in juvenile justice.

NYCE is more than a new building project. It is a shift in how the community thinks about youth justice, accountability, rehabilitation, and empowerment.

The campus is designed to support:

• Youth accountability
• Family engagement
• Public safety
• Trauma-informed care
• Access to services
• Restorative approaches
• Safer and more efficient court operations
• Better coordination among Court staff, community partners, and service providers

Why NYCE Matters

The current Juvenile Justice Center has served Nashville and Davidson County for many years, but the needs of young people, families, staff, and the community have changed significantly.

NYCE is being developed to meet those needs in a more thoughtful and effective way.

NYCE is not simply about where juvenile justice happens. It is about how juvenile justice happens.

The new campus will provide a setting that supports the Court’s responsibility to protect public safety while also recognizing that young people need structure, services, support, and opportunity. The design of the campus reflects the understanding that the environment itself plays an important role in how youth, families, staff, and visitors experience the justice system.

NYCE will allow Juvenile Court to better connect young people and families with resources, support services, and pathways that can help reduce further system involvement.

Campus Features

The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment is being designed as a comprehensive campus that supports court operations, youth services, pre-trial housing, assessment, family engagement, and community partnerships.

• Modern Court Facilities
  • Courtrooms and court-related spaces designed to better serve youth, families, attorneys, victims, staff, and the public.
• Youth Pre-Trial Housing
  • A secure, trauma-informed housing environment for youth who require detention prior to adjudication, with an emphasis on safety, separation, supervision, and programming.
• Assessment and Service Connections
  • Spaces intended to support assessment, intervention, and connection to appropriate services for youth and families.
• Family-Friendly Design
  • A campus environment that recognizes the important role of families in the juvenile justice process.
• Community Partner Access
  • A layout that supports collaboration with agencies, service providers, and community-based organizations.
• Improved Safety and Security
  • A modern campus design that supports safer movement, improved supervision, and better separation of populations when needed.

Community Outreach and Engagement

Community engagement is an important part of the NYCE project.

As the campus moves toward completion, the Davidson County Juvenile Court is committed to keeping the community informed, answering questions, and creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue.

The Court’s Community Outreach Team will continue working with neighborhoods, schools, community partners, faith-based organizations, service providers, and civic groups to share information about NYCE and its role in supporting young people and families.

Taking the Vision of NYCE to the People

The Court recognizes that a project of this importance must be explained clearly and consistently. Through community meetings, presentations, tours, printed materials, website updates, and partner engagement, the Court will continue taking the vision of NYCE directly to the people it is designed to serve.

Community outreach efforts will focus on:

• Explaining the purpose of NYCE
• Addressing questions and concerns
• Sharing project updates
• Highlighting youth-centered services
• Building trust with the community
• Creating stronger connections with partners
• Preparing the public for the transition from the current Juvenile Justice Center to the new campus

Contact the NYCE Outreach Team

For questions about the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment, community presentations, outreach opportunities, or general information, please contact the Davidson County Juvenile Court Community Outreach Team.

Davidson County Juvenile Court
Community Outreach Team
100 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN 37213
Phone: 615-862-8055
Email: anthonyfsmith@jisnashville.gov