by Jon Styf
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating conditions at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center outside of Nashville, the state’s largest prison.
The facility, operated by management company CoreCivic, has shown dangerous understaffing since it opened in 2016 and the investigation will look at whether it protects inmates from physical violence and sexual abuse.
U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis said there have been reports of issues at the prison since it opened.
“This includes reports of staffing shortages, physical and sexual assaults, murders and a 188% turnover rate among prison guards just last year,” Leventis said. “Although CoreCivic owns and operates Trousdale, the State of Tennessee is ultimately responsible for the safety of the people incarcerated there. This investigation seeks to determine whether Tennessee is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
The Justice Department notified Tennessee officials of the investigation on Tuesday and will look to identify issues and correct them.
“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,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said. “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.”
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Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter for The Center Square who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
Photo “Trousdale Turner Correctional Center” by tn.gov.
