The head of Tennessee’s prison system is leaving state government. Tony Parker announced his retirement Tuesday, effective this fall.
“After 38 years of service, I have decided to retire this fall to return to West Tennessee and catch up on spending quality time with my family and friends,” Parker said in a statement.
He was named to be the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction by former Governor Bill Haslam. During his time, the agency carried out more executions than any of his predecessors since capital punishment resumed in the 1970s.
He also fought to raise the pay of correctional officers to deal with a staffing shortage in prisons. Earlier this year, the department was even offering $5,000 signing bonuses.
Before the pandemic, staff turnover had already become a safety concern. The state Comptroller found in 2018 that prisons ended the year with only half the staff that started the year.
Private prisons overseen by TDOC face the same staffing problems, and were even fined by TDOC after a 2017 audit found the private prisons to be dangerously short-staffed. Criminal justice advocates have linked the staffing issues with the elevated number of prison homicides over the last five years.
Parker started his career as a prison guard in West Tennessee. He says he plans to return there and catch up on quality time with family and friends.
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