DOJ investigates Tennessee's largest prison

What happened

The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation of conditions at Tennessee's privately run Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, the state's largest prison. The investigation will explore whether the facility has "systemic constitutional violations regarding the treatment of people," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.

Who said what

Trousdale, run by prison operator CoreCivic, recorded "at least 196 assaults, 90 incidents of sexual misconduct, two murders and 15 other deaths" between July 2022 and July 2023, The Associated Press said. A "single three-week period in early 2024" saw at least five stabbings. Several state audits of CoreCivic, "and Trousdale particularly," have found continuous contract violations and "skyrocketing turnover rates," resulting in "millions of dollars" in fines, The Tennessean said. But Tennessee "continues to renew its contract."

Inmates "do not surrender their constitutional rights at the prison door," Clarke said. And "private prisons are not above the law." 

What next?

Tennessee, not CoreCivic, will ultimately be held liable for any violations uncovered by the Trousdale investigation. If "systemic misconduct" is discovered, the DOJ will "issue a public report and outline the minimal remedial steps" for state and prison officials to follow, The Washington Post said.

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