People serving life sentences often have a lot of sway over the culture of a prison — they remain, while others cycle in and out. At a prison about an hour southwest of Nashville, men with life sentences are trying to use that influence for good.
28 people have died of overdoses in Tennessee’s prisons this year. Lawsuits blame understaffing and easily available drugs.
More than two dozen people have died of overdoses behind bars in Tennessee this year. Twelve of those deaths happened in privately operated prisons, run by Brentwood-based CoreCivic.
The story behind the story: How WPLN’s Samantha Max reported on drug overdoses in prison
WPLN News’ Samantha Max recently reported on the sharp increase in drug-related deaths and overdoses behind bars and how those incarcerated are unable to receive the necessary treatment to curb their addictions.
The other epidemic: Overdoses are spiking in Tennessee prisons, as deadly drugs circulate through supposedly secure facilities
Drug deaths have jumped more than eightfold in Tennessee prisons in the past two years. That’s left people inside, their loved ones and even officials feeling desperate.
Tennessee has the nation’s harshest sentence for juveniles convicted of murder. The state’s supreme court will decide if it’s constitutional.
Anyone found guilty of first-degree murder must serve a minimum of 51 years in Tennessee — even if they were juveniles at the time. Now, justices are considering whether that mandatory minimum sentence violates adolescents’ constitutional rights.
Prisons Are Making People Sick — And Not Just Those Behind Bars
At first, Dawn Harrington blamed herself when her younger brother went to prison. She questioned whether she’d been a good influence. She developed anxiety, then fell into a deep depression.
How A Tennessee Man Found Freedom In The Midst Of A Pandemic
Tracston Neal was released from a Tennessee prison in April after serving more than a decade behind bars. Now, he’s adjusting back to life on the outside in the midst of a pandemic.
Tennessee Takes A First Step Toward Better Health For Pregnant Women In Jails And Prisons
Pregnancy testing. Advice on healthy eating. Postpartum care. These are some of the services that Tennessee jails and prisons are now required to offer the state’s growing population of female inmates. That’s thanks to a new bill (SB 1839/HB 1651), passed by the legislature last week.
Tennessee Officials Say Most Prisoners With The Coronavirus Are Asymptomatic. Health Experts Doubt That.
Mass testing at two Tennessee prisons has uncovered nearly 2,000 cases of the coronavirus behind bars so far.
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