Category: Prisons

Audit gives scathing review of TN corrections department

WSMV News 4 By Demetria Kalodimos / WSMV.com TV4 NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV), Nov. 14, 2017 — Two Democratic lawmakers are going to recommend not to re-authorize the Tennessee Department of Correction after a scathing audit released on Tuesday by the Tennessee Comptroller’s office. Reps. Bo Mitchell and Mike Stewart, both Nashville Democrats, said in a press […]

Chilled cells, drugging of inmate, corporate chiseling seen in TN prison

In November the state auditor gave a harsh review of Tennessee prisons, with our correspondents adding to the litany of grievances — including overmedication of prisoners. By Sharon  Rondeau / The Post & Email (Nov. 30, 2017) — Three grievance forms from TDOC inmate Grenda Ray Harmer, #88710, dated November 20, 2017 report that his […]

Prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers ignore TN ‘guilty mind’ law

Prisoners in Hamilton County often have been convicted without the state’s proving criminal intent for their acts, as required by state law. (Photo Wrcbtv.com) A dirty state secret: Ignore “guilty mind.” Culpable intent is required by Tennessee law, but judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys reject it. (Courtesy Noogaradio 92.7) 2 words from judges Poole, Statom could […]

Harmer pitches complaints about prisons to both GOP, Dems

Democrats in Nashville, including, from left, Rep. Joanne Favors of Chattanooga, standing next to Rep. John Ray Clemmons, who has received letters of complaint from Tennessee prison inmate Grenda Harmer. (Photo Nashville Public Radio) I received your letter with the enclosures. I’ve not had time to read the enclosures because I did want to get […]

Q&A: Guards abusive in prison system that enriches corporations

Tennessee prisoner Grenda Harmer complains of abuse at several state slavery installations, the most recent one in which he is confined run by CoreCivic, a for-profit company trading as CXW at about F$26 a share. (Photo David Tulis) The following is my interview by correspondence with Grenda Harmer, a whistleblowing inmate  consigned to Morgan County […]

Jail officers torture teenager in restraint chair with prolonged Taser bursts

This video is not for queasy people, but shows the extent to which officials will go to represent state authority on a personal level to one held in its control. (80 seconds, Video YouTube) Deputies tortured a prisoner in Cheatham County on Nov. 5, 2016, using stun guns at point-blank range and holding the trigger […]

Spokeswoman says inmate reports ‘fictitious’

Neysa Taylor, prisons spokeswoman I’ve reviewed the letter that you received from Mr. Harmer.  This letter is the latest in a series of fictitious letters that Mr. Harmer has written in recent months. By Neysa Taylor / Tennessee department of correction It appears that Mr. Harmer would like to not only circumvent the grievance process […]

Inmate to Haslam: Does jailer oath bar ‘hurling profanity’?

Gov. Bill Haslam oversees a corrections system that under the Tennessee constitution allows the enslavement of people convicted in court or plea bargained outside of it —29,000 people, mostly men. (Photo wrcbtv.com) WARTBURG, Tenn., Morgan County Correctional Complex, Aug. 10, 2017 — Dear Gov. [Bill] Haslam, Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Tony Parker is allowing Warden […]

‘Half the time they don’t bring’ TN inmate medications

By Sharon Rondeau / Postandemail.com A letter received May 22 from an inmate at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (TTCC) in Hartsville, Tenn., reinforces numerous reports received over the last year detailing very limited visitation, cold meals served at irregular times, long-term lockdown periods when inmates are confined to their cells for up to 23 hours each […]