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.
Tennessee’s Top Prison Official To Leave State Government
The head of Tennessee’s prison system is leaving state government. Tony Parker announced his retirement Tuesday, effective this fall.
‘They’re Supposed To Be Protected’: A Homicide At A Private Tennessee Prison Raises Questions About Safety
Terry Deshawn Childress’ death marked the 17th homicide in a Tennessee prison in the past five years. All but three of those deaths occurred at private facilities, even though they house only about a third of the state’s prisoners.
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.
Once Fearing A ‘Public Relations Nightmare,’ Tennessee Begins Vaccinating Prisoners
Thousands of Tennessee prisoners are now going to be eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine. The announcement comes days after an Associated Press investigation found that state officials debated when to vaccinate prisoners, fearing that any decision could be deemed a “public relations nightmare.”
COVID-19 Alone Doesn’t Account For More Deaths In Tennessee Prisons In 2020
Prison deaths in Tennessee increased by nearly 60% in 2020, compared to the prior year. But COVID-19 directly accounted for only about half of them.
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