TN Senators Demand Shutdown of CoreCivic

Lawmakers raise concerns in the wake of hostage situation at Trousdale Turner

Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

News of a riot at a Tennessee prison operated by private incarceration profiteer CoreCivic got the attention of at least two state lawmakers. Senators Heidi Campbell of Nashville and London Lamar of Memphis both took to social media to call for CoreCivic to be “shut down.”

A correctional officer was injured during a riot at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center Sunday night, according to authorities.

According to CoreCivic, the company that manages the facility, a large group of inmates left their cells and began acting “disruptive and confrontational” in the inner yard late Sunday evening.

CoreCivic, originally born in Tennessee as Corrections Corporation of America, pioneered the profit from prisons industry.

And, despite the current outcry, the company seems unlikely to face accountability anytime soon - in fact, as Campbell notes, it seems their profits will benefit from the Trump Administration’s ICE policies.

Pay to Play? CoreCivic Lands Contract Extension Amid Controversy

A 2022 analysis also pointed out that while CoreCivic has a sketchy performance record, the company continues to find favor with state decision-makers:

Its facilities have a murder rate four times higher than state-run facilities, a 2019 report showed. An audit by the state comptroller found CoreCivic maintains unreliable data and has destroyed public records.

This event at Trousdale Turner likely means some extra work for the CoreCivic PR team - and maybe some pointed questions from legislative Democrats in committee hearings next year.

But, as long as Bill Lee is Governor and Donald Trump is President, profits will increase and people will suffer.