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.
Tennessee prisons install high-tech scanners to try to deter contraband
Starting in 2023, high-tech screenings will be the new standard at Tennessee’s state prisons, as officials fight to control a wave of deadly drugs being snuck inside the gates.
Slavery is still allowed as a punishment for crime in Tennessee’s constitution. Amendment 3 seeks to change that.
Update: Amendment 3 was passed by Tennessee voters, so the language of the state’s constitution will be updated accordingly. Find all of WPLN’s live Election Day coverage here. The inspiration for Amendment 3 came about a decade ago, behind the bars and barbed wire of Riverbend Maximum Security Prison.
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.
Woman charged with murder after allegedly sneaking meth into a correctional facility
A Middle Tennessee woman who shared a kiss with a man inside a county prison has now been charged with his murder. Rachel Dollard is accused of passing a balloon with half an ounce of meth while kissing Joshua Brown. Brown later died of an overdose at a local hospital.
Governor Lee allows ‘truth in sentencing’ bill to become law, but says he favors re-entry programs
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.
Tennessee governor postpones first scheduled execution since the pandemic, citing concerns about lethal injection protocol
Oscar Smith was not killed by the state of Tennessee as planned Thursday night.
Gov. Bill Lee granted Smith a temporary reprieve barely an hour before the execution was scheduled to take place, citing “an oversight in preparation for lethal injection.”
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’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.
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