Lawson calls for state to take over prison after Sunday’s riot

By Eddie West Staff Writer

Following a riot which took place Sunday night, Fifteenth Judicial District Attorney Jason Lawson is calling for the Tennessee Department of Corrections to assume management of the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center which sits near the Trousdale/Smith County line.

This comes after three guards were reported taken hostage and inmates took control of an area inside the prison around 10 p.m.

While there were no reports of guards being critically injured, some were reportedly taken to the hospital to be treated.

Also, no inmate escaped during the incident.

While located inside an industrial park in Trousdale County, the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility is near the Dixon Springs community at the former Hartsville Nuclear Plant site. 

“Last night’s riot again illustrates the problems at Trousdale Turner, which have been well-documented in the media,” District Attorney Jason Lawson, said in a statement, Monday morning. “Certainly, those who led and participated in the riot will be charged, prosecuted and have more incarceration heaped on top of the sentences they are currently serving—some which are already very lengthy. Over the past few years, the Trousdale County Grand Jury has added hundreds of new cases to the criminal court docket for crimes occurring at the prison, at a rate of roughly one crime for every four calendar days, which has resulted in many years of additional incarceration. But a response by the court system is an ‘after-the-fact’ response and does not ensure the future safety of inmates or employees at the prison. The continual problems demonstrate that CoreCivic is unable to address the issues. I understand that Tennessee needs the bedspace at Trousdale Turner to house state prisoners, however, it is long-overdue that the State of Tennessee shifted the management of Trousdale Turner from CoreCivic into the direct hands of the Tennessee Department of Correction. I am confident that Commissioner Strada and the Tennessee Department of Correction could manage this situation far better than what is being done by CoreCivic. This would also allow CoreCivic to shift its employees from the Trousdale facility to other prisons it manages in Tennessee that are also significantly understaffed. Based on the past track record and the concern for inmate and employee safety, I respectfully call for the management of the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to be assumed by the Tennessee Department of Correction directly without the involvement of CoreCivic.”

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