OAN Staff James Meyers
3:02 PM – Wednesday, August 21, 2024
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it will investigate Tennessee’s biggest prison for assaults, sexual abuse and murders.
The DOJ has launched an investigation into Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a private prison opened by CoreCivic in 2016 and the largest prison in the state. This comes after reports of sexual and physical abuse inside the prison.
According to The Washington Post, the prison allegedly had 196 assaults, two murders and 90 cases of sexual assault reported from July 2022 to June 2023.
“People are incarcerated at Trousdale Turner as punishment for their crimes, but in our legal system, punishment does not and cannot include violence and sexual abuse,” DOJ Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division said in the press release. “The Justice Department is launching this comprehensive investigation to determine if there are systemic constitutional violations regarding the treatment of people in this privately-run correctional facility. We are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of people held inside jails and prisons across our country.”
Additionally, the prison allegedly suffers from rough staffing issues, with a turnover rate of 188% among guards in 2023, according to United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
An audit of Tennessee prisons in 2023 revealed that CoreCivic-managed prisons in The Volunteer State have a turnover rate of 146%, compared to state-owned prisons at 37%. CoreCivic prisons also have a 42% vacancy rate among guards.
“The safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority for our leadership and the staff at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center,” Steven Owen, vice president of communications at CoreCivic, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “That’s why we’ve worked closely with the Tennessee Department of Corrections to identify and implement policies and processes that enhance safety and security while providing meaningful programs and services geared towards helping the individuals in our care prepare for successful reentry. We take this matter very seriously and are committed to working closely with both [the Tennessee Department of Corrections] and USDOJ officials to address areas of concern.”
Additionally, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Correction said the agency will also cooperate with the investigation, according to Axios.
Tennessee has four prisons under contracts with CoreCivic. The current state budget divvies up $233 million for the four facilities, including $80 million for Trousdale.
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