Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced today that the U.S. Justice Department is initiating a civil investigation into conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, Tennessee. The facility, operated by CoreCivic on behalf of the Tennessee Department of Correction, will be scrutinized for potential violations of constitutional rights under the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act.
Clarke stated, "This investigation will examine whether the State protects people incarcerated at Trousdale Turner from harm, including violence and sexual abuse." She highlighted reports indicating endemic violence since the facility's opening in 2016, citing incidents such as stabbings, assaults, murders, deaths classified as "accidental," and numerous cases of sexual misconduct.
The investigation follows audits in 2017, 2020, and 2023 that flagged issues like understaffing and inadequate monitoring by the Tennessee Department of Correction. Clarke emphasized that nearly 100 complaints have been received regarding conditions at Trousdale Turner from various stakeholders.
Clarke reiterated that constitutional rights do not end at prison doors: "Every person held in a jail or prison retains the fundamental right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment." She added that states remain liable for conditions within privately operated prisons.
The investigative team will consist of career attorneys from both the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. Clarke assured that if systemic constitutional violations are found, written notice with remedial measures will be provided to Tennessee officials.
This investigation is part of broader efforts to address conditions in correctional facilities nationwide. Similar investigations are ongoing in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
In conclusion, Clarke affirmed that states must protect prisoners from violence and sexual abuse regardless of private operation arrangements: "If we determine that the State has fallen short of that obligation, we will seek to work with them cooperatively to develop meaningful and durable reforms."
U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis also delivered remarks following Clarke's announcement.