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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee defends CoreCivic

As federal investigators investigate alleged civil rights violations at a privately operated prison in Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday called private prison operator CoreCivic a “very important partner” of the state and praised the company's “commitment to reducing turnover.”

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced a civil investigation into conditions at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, a privately run prison plagued by staff shortages, violence, smuggling and allegations of sexual misconduct.

In response to the investigation, CoreCivic stated that the company is working with the Department of Corrections and the Department of Justice to address the areas of concern because “the safety and dignity of every person in our care is our top priority.”

For years, allegations of misconduct at CoreCivic facilities, including Trousdale, have been raised in lawsuits, testimony before state lawmakers and audits by the Tennessee Comptroller. While the state routinely punishes CoreCivic for contract violations, lawmakers have continued to approve increases in CoreCivic contracts, including a $7 million increase in the state contract with South Central Correctional Facility approved in this year's budget.

On Tuesday, Lee said CoreCivic was responsible for complying with the state's contracting standards and praised the publicly traded company for its efforts to reduce astronomical staff turnover at Trousdale, the state's largest prison.

“Commissioner [Frank] “Strada has spent a lot of time visiting this very facility to make sure we are working to correct any deficiencies,” Lee told reporters on Wednesday.

“CoreCivic is a very important partner for the state in running the prisons,” Lee said. “We want to know when there are deficiencies. We want to make sure we're running our prisons the way we should. And that's what we're going to find out through this process. We'll see what happens.”

CoreCivic's political action committee is among the largest donors in Tennessee politics, having donated more than $100,000 to candidates during the 2018 and 2022 election cycles, and $73,000 so far this year. Lee's campaign received at least $85,300 directly from CoreCivic Inc. and its partner PAC during the 2018 and 2022 election cycles.

State has imposed millions in contractual penalties on CoreCivic

In fact, in recent years, CoreCivic has had to pay millions of dollars in damages to the Tennessee Department of Corrections for breaches of contract, according to records of correspondence between TDOC commissioners and CoreCivic leadership.

TDOC has fined CoreCivic $7.27 million for violations at the South Central Correctional Facility alone since January 2019. CoreCivic operates four prisons in Tennessee.

More: Court documents describe years of staff shortages at a CoreCivic prison in Tennessee

It is unclear when CoreCivic last succeeded in meeting contract standards at any of its four facilities in Tennessee.

“It's important that they meet those standards and that we continue to hold them accountable when they don't meet the standards,” Lee said, noting that the state imposes fines on CoreCivic if the company doesn't meet contract requirements.

Lee did not comment Tuesday on whether the fines imposed by the state are sufficient to ensure compliance with the company's contracts with state prisons.

Records and audit show that chronic staff shortages are affecting inmate safety

Among the key breaches detailed in the state's compensation filings is CoreCivic's chronic staffing shortages at all four prisons it operates – most notably at Trousdale.

State auditors found in December that 57% of required positions at Trousdale were vacant. During an on-site visit to Trousdale in March 2023, 131 of 230 required positions were vacant, the audit found.

Most positions remained vacant for 100 days or more, and some were even vacant for over a year, according to TDOC noncompliance notices sent to CoreCivic through the department's contract monitoring protocol. State contracts require positions to be filled within 45 days.

The vacant positions at the facility included correctional officers, nurses, psychologists, case managers, an investigator, a recreation coordinator, school and vocational teachers, and administrative staff. Entire housing units were vacant for weeks.

“We've seen the turnover numbers and vacancy — that problem — improve, and we're going to look for further improvements,” Lee said Tuesday, without giving specific data. “And we're going to hold them accountable because they have a responsibility — ultimately the state does — but through our vendors, they have a responsibility to run the prisons the way they should be run.”

In December, auditors found that staff shortages were affecting management's ability to operate safely and reliably. Trousdale correctional officers interviewed by the auditor general said the staff shortages made the job “much more dangerous” and made it “difficult and very tiring to perform all duties.”

“I feel unsafe in Trousdale all the time,” wrote one official in response to an audit survey.

“The correctional officers work alone in their blocks,” wrote another. “We haven't had partners for over two years. Sometimes one officer is in charge of four blocks. We hire young people who have NO idea how to talk to grown men.”

Lee praises efforts to reduce turnover

On Wednesday, Lee praised CoreCivic's efforts to reduce staff turnover.

“The state increased correctional officers' salaries by 30% just about a year ago – and that had a ripple effect, even among private providers,” he said. “This process will take time.”

Trousdale has the highest staff turnover of any state prison: According to the December 2023 audit, staff turnover in 2023 was 188%, 74% higher than the previous year.

“I am sure CoreCivic has begun to demonstrate that commitment to reducing staff turnover in its corrections department,” he added, calling audits an “important” part of state oversight.

“We want to know where the deficits are and we want to take steps to move forward. And I am confident that we will see that we have taken steps,” Lee said, calling accountability “a never-ending process.”

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X under @Vivian_E_Jones.

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