JJJ groundbreaking

Williamson County officials stand together to break ground on the new criminal justice complex in Franklin, Tenn., on March 18, 2026. 

 Hamilton Matthew Masters

Williamson County officials broke ground on the future Jail, Justice and Juvenile (JJJ) campus this week. 

A 114,900-square-foot future juvenile center will be the first building constructed on the site, which will later feature the county jail and juvenile court.

“We honestly never thought we'd get here, but here we are,” Williamson County Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Guffee said, nodding to the project that has been studied, planned and debated since 2017.

More than 100 community and government leaders, including numerous members of the Williamson County Commission, who approved funding for the project in 2024, attended the Beasley Drive ceremony.

“This [area of Williamson County] was designed over nearly 20 years ago to turn this into an area that would house our highway department, our public safety department, our jail and the juvenile [justice center] and all of that would be central in this area so that we could better serve the citizens of Williamson County,” Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said.

The facility is slated to open in the summer of 2028, with the campus expected to serve the community for some 25 years.

“As a local builder, BELL Construction is proud to deliver a facility of this scale and apply our justice-sector experience to build it safely and to serve the community’s evolving needs,” BELL Construction Director of Justice Rick Bruining said.

It will include 32 beds and four courtrooms, with two additional courtroom shells to accommodate growth. It will also feature education and dining spaces, therapy rooms, a recreation yard with a basketball court, an indoor gymnasium, and administrative offices.

“Every single young person that comes through our system has a story,” said Zannie Martin, Director of Juvenile Court and Services. Many of them have faced unimaginable challenges. Most of them have fractured and unstable foundations. It is our responsibility to reinforce their fractured foundations. We are responsible to fortify those young people's foundations so that they can withstand the storms of life. And so it is today we celebrate a team that is building a foundation for a building that will become a space for the staff that will build a foundation for our youth.”