Tag: CoreCivic

Audit Finds Tennessee Prisons Remain Understaffed, Face High Attrition

Tom Pappert

A 206-page audit of public and private prisons in Tennessee was released last week, revealing both state and private facilities in the state remain understaffed and face high employee attrition rates while struggling to offer sufficient beds and services for inmates.

The audit, conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, found that the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) “has taken action to address critical staffing shortages,” but warned both TDOC and CoreCivic, which manages private prisons in Tennessee, “are facing an ongoing and deeply rooted challenge of attrition within their ranks.”

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Joe Biden to Clamp Down on Private Prisons

Chris Butler
Rep Steve Cohen

Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this month said that the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals Service continue to use privately-operated detention facilities, and he wants President Joe Biden to put a stop to it. In a letter, Cohen said private prison companies have discovered ways to circumvent an executive order that Biden signed in January. That order directed the attorney general not to renew contracts with privately-operated criminal facilities.

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U.S. Marshals Contract with Private Prison Ends, Inmates Have Nowhere to Go in Ohio

Peter D'Abrosca

President Joe Biden is facing his first hurdle in ending contracts with private prisons, a major campaign promise aimed at the progressive wing of the Democrat Party. 

“The Biden administration’s push to end contracts with private prisons has left federal authorities in Cleveland scrambling to find ways to house nearly 800 inmates,” according to a report by Cleveland.com.

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Nashville Community Oversight Board Member Who Resigned Unexpectedly Has Lengthy Criminal Record

Corinne Murdock

Up until last week Ovid Timothy Hughes was a member of Nashville’s Community Oversight Board (COB), dedicated to enforcing police accountability. However, Hughes wasn’t your typical concerned citizen on the COB – he has a lengthy criminal history himself. 

Between 2001 and 2002, Hughes racked up several felony charges for burglary. He was sentenced to two years in the private prison Corrections Corporation of America, now known as CoreCivic, and two years’ probation. Then in 2008, Hughes was arrested and charged for mail fraud. Hughes had reportedly stolen credit card and private account information from his previous employer. From 2006 to 2007, Hughes used the information to spend over $78,000 on items such as computer equipment and designer clothing.

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Community Pressures Tennessee State University President into Backing Out of CoreCivic Board

Corinne Murdock

After backlash from the community, Tennessee State University (TSU) President Dr. Glenda Glover reversed her decision to join CoreCivic’s board. Glover tweeted about the change suddenly, less than a day after CoreCivic had announced her appointment. Glover was expected to assume her position on March 1. In that press release, Glover had only positive things to say about the private prison company.

“Every single day, CoreCivic engages with thousands of individuals in educational programs who have the opportunity to positively change their lives,” stated Glover. “As I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the company, it’s clear to me that there is a genuine commitment to progress through innovative reentry programs, strong corporate governance, active public policy support and transparent ESG reporting. I look forward to being an inside voice that can help CoreCivic realize the full potential of its purpose of helping people prepare for the next step in their lives.”

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Tennessean Coverage of CoreCivic Protest Implies Heavy Bias

Chris Butler
CoreCivic protect

If one didn’t know any better one might assume the same left-wing activists who protested CoreCivic last week are chummy with the writers and editors of The Tennessean, given how the paper covered the event. So much so they collude with one another. So much so the writers at The Tennessean might allow their personal biases to overrule the truth. “They are protesting CoreCivic, and The Tennessean is giving them all the propaganda they can because CoreCivic does some of the detention facilities for illegal aliens,” said Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill. Reporters at The Tennessean, Gill went on to say, are not telling the real story of what CoreCivic does. Tennessean reporter Natalie Allison did not return repeated requests for comment Monday, and neither did her supervisor Duane Gang. On the day of the protest, Allison signaled likely coordination with the protestors. Her first tweet covering the event occurred at 6:32 a.m. that day. She used the protest group’s hashtag, #ResistICENashville, in later tweets. The story she eventually produced did not question the protestors, their motivations, or even their funding. She even ignored Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson, who said the following about the protest: We understand the…

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Anti-ICE Protest Strains Nashville Police, While Bredesen Stays Quiet on Threat To City Where He Was Once Mayor

Jason M. Reynolds
CoreCivic protesting ICE

The Metro Nashville Police Department reported it arrested 20 anti-ICE protesters Monday, pulling officers away from their regular duties. Meanwhile, Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen has been silent about the public safety issue. Dozens of protesters descended on the Green Hills headquarters of private prison company CoreCivic and blocked the entrance, the department said in a press release. Ten of those arrested had chained themselves together. Five of those arrested were from Nashville. Those charged are named in the press release. CoreCivic has contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Nashville Scene said. Jeannie Alexander of the No Exceptions Prison Collective, told the Scene that the group is protesting in solidarity with others occupying ICE offices across the country. “But what’s unique about Nashville is that we’re the only city in the United States that has the headquarters of CoreCivic,” Alexander told the Scene. “ICE is their biggest customer. And the way the prison industrial complex continues to grow and [what makes] targeting immigrant families so much easier is that corporations like CoreCivic are building internment camps and they’re profiting off of it.” While Alexander’s group spent its time protesting, Nashville’s police force spent its resources protecting the…

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