A review by experts of Tennessee prison operations recommends the state Department of Correction make major changes in how prisoner assaults on guards are classified and also calls for changes to controversial staff scheduling changes.
Among other things, the American Correctional Association is recommending doing away with a departmental rule that makes injury necessary for an assault charge.
ACA officials this afternoon outlined their recommendations to a Senate panel following experts’ visits to five of Tennessee’s 13 prisons. That comes after months of complaints and controversy among correctional officers and some lawmakers who charge Haslam administration cost-saving moves and policies on assaults have endangered safety.
Officials say that overall, their examination “reveals sustained positive outcomes,” citing a key indicator of problems — inmates escapes from “secure facilities.
“There have been no escapes from secure custody since February 2009. There have been no escapes in the past 6 years,” the report says.
The report notes that elements of correctional staff and inmate safety are reflected in “observable operational characteristics. During its visits, the team determined that all 5 units visited, including the most secure and complex in the system, were consistently operationally disciplined, stable and productive in meeting their critical mission.” (continue reading)