NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A fatal incident occurred at a Tennessee state prison operated by a private company when fights broke out, resulting in one inmate’s death and injuries to five others, according to the facility’s management.
The altercations took place at the Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Whiteville early Saturday. Brian Todd, a representative for CoreCivic, the prison’s operator, stated that while the fights were separate events, they appeared to be interconnected.
Staff responded swiftly to separate the fighting inmates and administered emergency medical care until paramedics arrived on the scene. A total of six inmates were transported to hospitals following the incidents, where one was pronounced dead. As of Wednesday, two inmates remained hospitalized, while three others received treatment and were returned to the prison, Todd confirmed. Fortunately, no prison employees sustained injuries during the disturbances.
The ongoing investigation into the incident is being handled by the Tennessee Department of Correction’s Office of Investigations and Conduct, Todd added.
This event occurs amidst a scrutiny of CoreCivic’s operations, particularly regarding another facility it manages, the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. This investigation follows numerous reports detailing issues such as physical and sexual assaults, homicides, an influx of contraband, and severe staffing shortages, as stated by U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis.
It remains uncertain how the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump might impact the status of this investigation.
Since 2016, Tennessee’s corrections agency has imposed fines totaling $37.7 million on CoreCivic across four of its facilities, which includes penalties for understaffing issues. Additionally, records reveal that the company has allocated over $4.4 million to settle roughly 80 lawsuits and out-of-court complaints alleging inmate mistreatment, with at least 22 documented deaths across four state prisons and two jails.
CoreCivic, based in Brentwood, Tennessee, has attributed the broader staffing challenges impacting the corrections industry to various factors and has pointed to its recruitment initiatives and attempts to fill positions with staff from other facilities nationwide.
In a recent statement to a legislative panel, the Commissioner of the Department of Correction, Frank Strada, described CoreCivic as a “very good partner for the state,” citing their support in “population management” and emphasizing that the department provides personnel at CoreCivic facilities for oversight.
