Lee and legislative leaders have had differences over what the long-term effect will be.
Tennessee lawmakers pass ‘truth in sentencing’ bill, following months of heated debate
The debate about a controversial criminal sentencing measure is over. After months of back and forth, Tennessee lawmakers voted to pass a bill last week that would require many people to spend much longer in prison.
Hundreds of Tennesseans who received lengthy prison sentences for selling drugs near schools could go home early
Decades ago, Tennessee created drug-free school zone laws to deter people from selling drugs in places where children are likely to be. But now, the state is making adjustments for cases that don’t involve kids.
Former Tennessee prisons director says ‘truth in sentencing’ bill could balloon prison population and make communities less safe
WPLN criminal justice reporter Samantha Max sat down with This is Nashville host Khalil Ekulona to unpack the so-called “truth in sentencing” bill.
Lawsuit: Tennessee private prison should improve conditions or be shut down
The family of a man who was killed in a Tennessee prison last year has sued the private, Brentwood-based company that runs it.
Tennessee lawmakers could make big changes to criminal sentences in 2022
Some want to make it easier for people to get out of prison. Others want to make it harder.
Tennessee’s prison commissioner is sounding the alarm on major staffing shortages
The pandemic has only exacerbated the state’s yearslong staffing shortage at its prisons — and the dangers it can cause behind bars. To remedy the issue, the outgoing corrections commissioner is urging the legislature to boost pay.
Tennessee Vaccinations To Prioritize Households Of ‘Medically Fragile’ Children
Tennessee is tweaking its vaccine distribution strategy again, releasing an updated plan Friday that moves the families of medically fragile children into the state’s 1c phase, along with patients who have poor health themselves. Dr. Lisa Piercey, the state’s health commissioner, says these additions include residents of households with children on ventilators, or those who […]
With New Pell Grant Rules, Thousands Of Tennessee Prisoners Could Access College Courses
Jameel Spann was a junior year at Fisk University when he got arrested. Facing a 15-year prison sentence, he didn’t know if he’d ever graduate.
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