HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CORECIVIC:

Atwater will not be a Governor who sits back and watches the brutality and gross neglect in these privately owned prisons (CoreCivic) go on as business as usual. The mistreatment of human beings is on display in the State of Tennessee. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, my focus will be not on criminalization, but on criminal reform and rehabilitation as it relates to poverty, illiteracy, mental health, drug sales, conflict resolution, anger management, gang affiliation, and human trafficking. We have an out-of-control crime problem in Tennessee, but the consequences of placing assault rifles on the streets through a permit-less gun carry bill further exacerbate the violence on innocent victims and empower criminals. CoreCivic's lack of organizational accountability has hurt families, correctional officers, and incarcerated individuals dying in prison for non-violent crimes. I will be a Governor bold enough to stop this communal assault on Tennesseans just because of greed and unchecked political power to use human bodies as capital.

(a) Fifty years ago, private prisons largely didn’t exist. While early forms of for-profit prisons first began operating in the U.S. during the 19th century via prison labor and convict leasing, state, local, and federal governments were the primary entities to wield control of the country’s penal institutions. Then, in the early 1980s, mass incarceration began to skyrocket as a result of President Ronald Reagan’s acceleration of the “war on drugs” and “tough on crime” policies. 

(b) The state-run prison system in Tennessee was in a period of turmoil marked by overcrowding and violence that led to the system being placed under federal supervision. As a result, a trio of Nashville businessmen sought to take an entrepreneur’s approach to address these issues. Tom Beasley, a previous chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, teamed up with Nashville real estate executive Robert Crants and businessman T. Don Hutto. Hutto’s career in prisons began in the 1960s when he was the warden of a Texas prison’s cotton plantation that primarily relied on the labor of Black incarcerated people.

(c) In 1983, the three men formed the Corrections Corporation of America, making Tennessee the birthplace of the for-profit prison industry. The corporation’s ties to some of Middle Tennessee’s largest and most powerful businesses began at its inception. Jack Massey, co-founder of the Hospital Corporation of America (now known as HCA Healthcare), made the initial investment into the company, which also received early support from Vanderbilt University. 

Steve Norris was commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Corrections from 1985 to 1988, and during his tenure, CCA began to seriously approach the state with its idea to privatize the corrections system. In 1985, CCA presented the state with a $250 million proposal to fully take over the Tennessee prison system, an effort that received support from then-Gov. Lamar Alexander, but was eventually rejected by state lawmakers. 

(d) CoreCivic, a private prison corporation, continues to gain notoriety for the high homicide rate within its facilities. The increasing number of fatalities has provoked public outcry against the private prison system in Tennessee, leading many to question the lack of oversight and inadequate responses to inmate deaths.

(e) CoreCivic, which operates four prison facilities in Tennessee, houses about a third of the state’s inmate population. According to the Tennessean’s recent article, however, nearly 63% of prison homicides in the state occur in CoreCivic prisons. Even when the numbers are controlled for similar inmate populations, the article states that the homicide rate in CoreCivic prisons is nearly double that of state-run facilities.

(f) This grossly disproportionate rate may not even tell the full story. An audit of Tennessee Department of Corrections records found that homicides in CoreCivic facilities may be under-reported, due to vague or incorrect statements of inmates’ causes of death. Therefore, the actual disparity in homicide rates between facilities may be greater than currently known.

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (TDOC) COST

The cost to house an inmate in a Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) facility is roughly $106 per day, based on FY 2024 estimates, with costs varying between $69 and $252 daily depending on the facility. For local jails housing state inmates, the state reimburses around $41-$62 per day, though local officials report that true costs often exceed $90 per day.

Key Cost Breakdown

• State Prisons: The average daily operational cost is roughly $106 per inmate, though some facilities can cost over $200 per day.

• Local Jail Reimbursement: Tennessee often houses state inmates in local county jails, paying a "per diem" (daily rate). While this rate was around $37–$41 per inmate per day historically, local officials often argue this does not cover the actual cost of, say, $93 or more.

• Total State/Local Impact: In 2019, Tennessee counties spent over $534 million to manage jails.

• Recent Funding Shortfalls: Shelby County reported in 2026 that housing state inmates, often called "backlog" or "backup" inmates, has cost the county $127 million between fiscal years 2021 and 2025.

These costs include staffing, medical care, food, and security.

FACTORING SHELBY COUNTY INTO THE EQUATION

As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will be a proactive leader to turn this mindset of incarceration around. Shelby County is contemplating building a new jail. It is a strong possibility that it will be a privately owned facility due to its dependency on the state for funding. Last year, a privately owned realtor and organization attempted to sell Shelby County a pipe dream by placing this new jail in an underserved and marginalized community known as New Chicago. This predominantly black area has been disinvested for the last 40 years or more. The State of Tennessee is so caught up in criminalization, they cannot look through the lens of humanity to provide prevention and intervention, youth empowerment programs, erect grocery stores in food deserts, implement literacy programs, etc.

(a) Shelby County spends $25 million a year housing state inmates.

(b) Shelby County spends over $25 million to $30 million annually to house state inmates, largely unfunded by the state, forcing expenses to be drawn from the county's general fund. The county is fighting to recover these costs, claiming it costs over $110 per inmate daily to house them, while the state has offered far less.

• Total Annual Cost: Approximately $30 million in Fiscal Year 2025 was spent by the county from its general fund to cover expenses for roughly 959 Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) inmates.

• Cost Per Inmate: The cost for Shelby County is about $110–$120 per inmate per day.

• State Reimbursement Dispute: The State of Tennessee has previously offered $41 per inmate per day, a rate the county rejected as insufficient, according to the Commercial Appeal.

• Comparison to Other Rates: The county receives $120 per day for federal detainees, but is not receiving that level of reimbursement from the state for Tennessee inmates. For comparison, Davidson County receives $132 per inmate per day from the state, noted WREG Local Memphis.

• Legal Action: The county is currently in a legal dispute with the state to recover an estimated $127 million in unpaid costs accumulated between fiscal years 2021 and 2025.

RECENT INCIDENTS RELATING TO CORECIVIC & TDOC:

Recent inmate homicides in Tennessee have been reported at multiple facilities, with investigations led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and local sheriff's offices.

Johnson County Jail (Franklin)
In late May 2026, an inmate named Russell Blackwell died after a fight with his cellmate, Christian Howard. Howard was subsequently charged with voluntary manslaughter after allegedly punching, kicking, and stomping the victim.

Dyer County Jail (Dyersburg)
In April 2026, correctional officers discovered 23-year-old inmate Jaylien Kimble unresponsive in his cell. He was pronounced dead at a local emergency room. Following early investigative findings and a traumatic head injury, the Dyer County Sheriff's Office and TBI launched a homicide investigation.

South Central Correctional Facility (Clifton)
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) and CoreCivic previously investigated a deadly fight that broke out in a housing unit, leaving three inmates hospitalized and one inmate dead.

DETAILED PROBLEM STATEMENTS:

(a) While the bid to buy out Tennessee’s entire prison system failed during a special session of the state legislature, a notable provision was passed by lawmakers during that session: a law that says the state can have only one contract with a privately run prison. CCA signed a contract with the state to open its first Tennessee prison in 1992: the South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton. In May of this year, the state renewed its contract with the prison for $168 million for three years. Over the past three decades, the company began to circumvent the state law restricting Tennessee to a single private prison by signing contracts directly with local governments in the counties where it sought to place its facilities, often in small rural towns where a large prison can offer much-needed job opportunities. As of 2026, the employment opportunities are low-paying jobs and understaffed.

(b) Too many incarcerated lives have been lost in CoreCivic under the jurisdiction of greed and the pursuit of money. We are living in a system where prisons are being used as a concentration camp for a new form of slavery and abuse. Individuals are being forced to live and work in inhumane environments, lack of medical care, drug-infested arenas, brutal attacks, with money laundering at its core, rapes, gang affiliations and activities, and dying in these prisons with no consequences even under a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation.

(c) Privately owned prisons are criticized for prioritizing corporate profit over inmate rehabilitation, leading to lower quality care, increased safety issues, and higher recidivism rates. They often cut costs on staffing and training, resulting in more violent incidents compared to public facilities, and incentivize higher incarceration rates, which can drive longer, harsher sentences.

(d) The state of Tennessee has renewed its contract with private prison operator CoreCivic to run the South Central Correctional Facility in Wayne County. The State Building Commission approved the three-year, $168 million contract with CoreCivic at a meeting on May 8, 2025. The contract will take effect on July 1, 2025, and run through June 30, 2028. 

(e) The South Central facility is one of four prisons in Tennessee run by Brentwood-based CoreCivic that have faced scrutiny in recent years due to poor conditions and inmate deaths. The Nashville-based prison operator is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division as a result of conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville. State audits have shown violations of state policies, below-par medical care, and high turnover rates when it comes to staffing the facilities. 

(f) The new contract comes as the state legislature recently passed legislation to increase oversight in the private prisons by requiring a facility’s inmate population to be reduced by 10 percent if the death rate is double that of an equivalent state-operated prison. The law awaiting Gov. Bill Lee's signature also requires the population cuts to continue until the prison rectifies the issues. 

(g) State Democrats have argued that Republicans continue to support CoreCivic due to the operator’s $3.7 million in campaign spending since 2009, according to a report from the Tennessee Lookout. 

(h) The contract renewal also follows CoreCivic having reported first-quarter results of $488.6 million in revenue vs. analyst estimates of $476.5 million, financial website StockStory reports. CoreCivic announced earnings per share of $0.23 compared to analyst estimates of $0.13. At the end of Thursday’s trading session, CoreCivic shares (ticker: CXW) were valued at $22.02, down $0.58 and representing a 2.57 percent decrease. The share value was up 3.27 percent in after-hours trading.

DISMANTLING CORECIVIC PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating CoreCivic's Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Tennessee following reports of severe violence, including multiple stabbings and deaths. This federal inquiry accompanies over $29.5 million in state-levied penalties against CoreCivic since 2022 for chronic understaffing and safety violations. Despite these issues, the state continues its partnership with the private operator.

Key details regarding the investigations and conditions include:

• DOJ Investigation (2024): The Civil Rights Division is examining whether the state protects inmates at Trousdale from physical and sexual abuse. The investigation followed reports of 15 accidental deaths and multiple murders in under a year.

• Staffing & Safety: Trousdale experienced an 188% turnover rate for guards in 2023, with reports describing the facility as an "open-air drug market".

• Financial Penalties: Tennessee has fined CoreCivic nearly $15 million since 2019 for contract violations, mostly at the Trousdale facility.

• 2025 Developments: A federal task force recently uncovered a drug scheme at a Tennessee prison. Furthermore, there have been allegations of violence at other CoreCivic-operated facilities, such as the South-Central Correctional Facility.

• Ongoing Pressure: As of early 2026, Tennessee senators are pushing for mandatory body cameras at CoreCivic facilities due to ongoing concerns. 

Despite these issues, Tennessee Department of Correction officials have indicated they rely on these beds and have no plans to stop using the private prison operator, noting that the company often makes improvements after penalties are levied. 

State penalized private prison operator $29.5M since 2022 for contract shortfalls. CoreCivic has failed to provide enough officers at four prisons to oversee inmates.

Tennessee’s private-prison operator has paid more than $29.5 million in liquidated damages since 2022 for failing to meet state contractual requirements, mainly for staffing shortages at four facilities, officials said Wednesday.

GROUNDS FOR DISMANTLING: DEATHS IN CORECIVIC

Department of Correction officials made the admission amid revelations of another lawsuit against CoreCivic involving an inmate’s death at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a facility facing a federal investigation for civil rights violations.

The state prison system, similarly, to those in other states, struggles to hire officers and boosted pay in 2021 by about 35%. CoreCivic’s vacancy rate at four state prisons is higher than the state’s, and, consequently, the publicly traded company that holds state contracts totaling $240 million continues to be penalized by foregoing millions annually.

Trousdale Turner, which was assessed $7.38 million in penalties since 2022, experienced an 188% turnover rate for prison guards last year. The company sustained a 146% turnover rate in 2023 because of difficulty hiring correctional officers, making it more difficult to monitor prisoners and avert safety risks. Yet the state increased its payout to CoreCivic by $7 million.

Trousdale Turner hasn’t been the state’s poorest performing prison as far as meeting contractual requirements. Hardeman County Correctional Facility has been penalized $9.75 million, Whiteville Correctional Facility $8.54 million and South-Central Correctional Facility in Wayne County $3.91 million since 2022, according to state figures.

The Department of Justice cited a record of assaults, murders and understaffing at Trousdale Turner since it opened in 2016 as justification for a civil rights investigation that started in August.

A Trousdale Turner Correction Center inmate serving time at a privately-run prison in Tennessee is suing the warden and staff for allowing gang members to assault him and extort money from his mother.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Nashville, the lawsuit claims gang members at the CoreCivic prison in Trousdale County threatened to assault inmate Charles Anderson if his mother and two family friends did not send them money, then beat and sexually assaulted him anyway after he complained to prison staff.  Trousdale Turner already faces a federal civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for gang violence and murders.

The lawsuit names prison warden Vince Vantell, assistant warden Keith Huggins, investigator Robert Fohrd and a sergeant at the facility, which is run by the Brentwood-based prison operator under contract with the state of Tennessee.

The filing says almost as soon as Anderson was transferred to Trousdale Turner in October 2023, he became the repeated victim of violence, with gang members stealing his property and threatening and inflicting violence on him. Gang members ordered him to buy back the stolen items in a well-known prison extortion scheme, according to the filing.

Anderson then instructed his elderly mother to pay gang members’ affiliates outside the prison through mobile methods or a “green dot” card or else he would be severely harmed or killed. Gang members armed with shanks forced him to call his mother and ordered him to tell her to make payments between $40 and $150.

December 15, 2025 - Family sues CoreCivic for $15M after inmate left with brain damage, head disfigurement.

HARDEMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) A family is suing CoreCivic for $15 million, alleging the private prison operator failed to protect and properly care for an inmate who was left permanently disabled with brain damage, after being attacked behind bars.

“This isn't about the money. This is about accountability,” said Teresa Pendergrass, grandmother of 32-year-old Christopher Hatcher, who was left unable to speak. “And this is about the continued treatment that he needs that they're not providing.”

Hatcher was serving time on drug charges at Hardeman County Correctional Center when he was stabbed multiple times by another inmate, according to Pendergrass. Pendergrass said the attack left him with severe brain damage and lasting physical disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation last year into CoreCivic and specifically the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Middle Tennessee following a high number of deaths and other safety concerns. Trousdale, the state's largest prison, has been plagued by allegations of inmate abuse, violence, drug overdoses, understaffing, charges against prison employees, and a high rate of deaths, including many unexplained murders. The federal investigation is still ongoing.

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Audit Report Adult Prisons & Jails - A Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Audit Report for adult prisons and jails is a public document produced by certified auditors evaluating a facility’s compliance with federal standards designed to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and harassment. These reports, issued every three years, confirm if policies, staff training, and inmate safety measures meet "zero-tolerance" requirements.

Prisons operated by CoreCivic in Tennessee have faced intense scrutiny regarding high inmate mortality rates, violence, and understaffing. Over a recent multi-year period, more than 300 deaths occurred across the company's four state facilities. State lawmakers and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have taken action to address these issues.

Key Incidents & Investigations

• Trousdale Turner Correctional Center: Frequently cited for having the highest number of deaths for a male prison in the country. In April 2026, the facility experienced another death when 45-year-old Clayton Thompson was found unresponsive by staff.

• DOJ Civil Rights Probe: In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into Trousdale Turner specifically, driven by ongoing problems with violence, sexual assault, and high staff turnover.

• Fatal Violence: Violence remains a major factor. For example, a federal lawsuit claims an inmate at the Hardeman County Correctional Facility was stabbed 60 times in an open dayroom while guards failed to intervene for over 30 minutes. Another inmate at the South Central Correctional Facility was beaten to death by his cellmate just one day before his scheduled release.

Legal and Legislative Actions

• Wrongful Death Lawsuits: CoreCivic has faced dozens of lawsuits over prisoner mistreatment, gang violence, and failure to provide timely medical care. The company has spent millions of dollars settling these claims and mistreatment complaints.

• Legislative Penalties: Due to sustained pressure from the families of prisoners, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill designed to directly penalize CoreCivic if prisoner death rates exceed double the state average. Under these penalties, the state can remove a percentage of inmates from CoreCivic facilities, potentially costing the private operator millions of dollars. Transferring these incarcerated individuals does not save their lives.

Wasteful Fiscal Budget - State of Tennessee Beholding to CoreCivic

Tennessee pays CoreCivic about ($240 million) to ($245million) annually to operate four state prisons, making up roughly (15%) to (16%) of the state's Department of Correction budget, even under the investigation of DOJ, brutal deaths, suicides inside these prisons, lack of adequate health care, poor nutrition, gang affiliations, drug sales, sexual assaults, etc.

The state's Department of Correction submitted budget requests and contract renewals reflecting this baseline, though these ongoing payouts are heavily offset by operational penalties and inflation adjustments.

Specifics on the financial relationship include:

• The Baseline Payout: State contracts typically allocate between ($240 million) and ($244.5 million) annually for the operation of four CoreCivic facilities (including Trousdale Turner, South Central, Whiteville, and Hardeman County).

• Damages and Penalties: Though the state provides this funding, it has penalized CoreCivic heavily in recent years. The state has levied over ($44 million) in liquidated damages and fines against the company since 2022 due to severe understaffing and contract shortfalls.

• Contract Renewals: The state renewed its contract for the South Central Correctional Facility, which is structured as a three-year deal worth ($168 million)

• The Tennessee Department of Correction (DOC) proposed a $6.8 million increase to CoreCivic’s contract, raising the total payout to $244.5 million despite the company’s history of failing to meet contractual obligations and an ongoing federal civil rights investigation. It has been reported that CoreCivic, which runs four Tennessee prisons, has paid over $29.5 million in penalties since 2022 for issues like staffing shortages, with turnover rates reaching 146% last year. Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a CoreCivic facility under federal investigation, has faced significant safety risks, including contraband smuggling and a 188% guard turnover rate.

• 2025/2026 Budget Adjustments: The TDOC sought an additional $13 million in its budget request to deal with inflation and achieve pay parity between CoreCivic and state-run facility staff.

• Enforcement: Rather than directly collecting all of these fines, the state typically withholds them from contract payouts, penalizing the company by reducing its overall contract earnings

CoreCivic ICE Detention Center in Mason, Tennessee

As a gubernatorial candidate, I personally fought against this ICE Detention Center. It is morally wrong to separate families and place immigrants in detention centers known as concentration camps. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will shut all ICE Detention Centers down.

The facility in Mason, Tennessee, is officially known as the West Tennessee Detention Facility. It is a 600-bed prison owned and operated by the private prison company CoreCivic.

Facility Status & Background

• Operation: Following approvals in August 2025, CoreCivic retrofitted the formerly closed prison into an immigration detention facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

• Activations: The facility began accepting its first ICE detainees in September 2025.

Economic Impact vs. Controversy

• Local Economy: Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman championed the reopening, citing much-needed job creation (nearly 240 jobs) and significant annual revenue for the financially struggling town.

• Community Pushback: The reopening has been highly controversial. Residents and civil rights groups, including the ACLU of Tennessee, vehemently opposed the contracts, citing concerns over CoreCivic's history of violations and the human rights impact of mass detentions.

ADVOCATING FOR THE CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY BILL

As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will be advocating for the Criminal Responsibility Bill.

Tennessee's proposed Criminal Responsibility legislation, notably SB1170 and HB1372 for the 2025-2026 session, seeks to significantly alter how "guilty by association" is applied by eliminating legal concepts that hold individuals responsible for the actions of others. The bill aims to restrict felony murder charges and remove criminal liability for facilitating a felony, targeting a more direct attribution of crime.

Key Aspects of the Proposed Changes (SB1170/HB1372):

• Elimination of "Conduct of Another": The bill removes provisions that make a person criminally responsible for offenses committed by someone else.

• Removal of Facilitation Liability: It eliminates criminal responsibility for aiding or facilitating a felony.

• First-Degree Murder Reform: It deletes provisions allowing first-degree murder charges for killings that occur during the commission of certain felonies (felony murder rule).

• Goal: Sponsors (Sen. Akbari, Rep. Chism) aim to align punishment with the direct intent of the individual rather than penalizing someone for a crime they did not personally commit.

Background and Context:

• Current Law: Tennessee law currently allows prosecution for "criminal responsibility for the conduct of another" if someone knowingly assists in a crime, which critics argue punishes people for murders they did not intend.

• Opposition: The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference has opposed the changes, arguing these laws are essential for securing convictions.

• Status: The bill was delayed for summer study in 2025 and is part of the legislative discussions in early 2026.

Another, separate proposal (HB1029/SB1159) previously sought to lower the age of criminal responsibility in Tennessee from 18 to 17.

Atwater's Goals and Strategies:

• The State of Tennessee is allegedly supposed to only have one private prison. I will rectify this violation.

• During the first year of my administration, I will release 15,000 incarcerated individuals from these private prisons. Progressively address the CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY BILL.

• Erect a special Prison Task Force to research and legally investigate copious cold cases where individuals have been violated by the judicial system, corrupt judges, unethical attorneys, and biased criminal processes.

• As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will take the DOJ investigation reports seriously and implement an Emergency Plan of Action (EPOA) to prevent these unnecessary deaths and fatalities tied to a contractual agreement with the State of Tennessee.

• CoreCivic facilities must be subject to more stringent multiple layers of oversight by the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) and other parties, like the American Correctional Association, to protect these incarcerated Tennesseans and preserve their human dignity and rights. 

• The broader problem is not entirely limited to private prisons, but with private prisons, it is exacerbated because the profits serve as a conduit to house individuals with a dollar sign at every curve of injustice. The motivation is greed and money, instead of rehabilitation. It then becomes a prison mill for making money for billionaires, which is a new form of modern-day slavery.

• At the infamous and dangerous Trousdale Turner, a demand for new prison leadership, staffing additions, and pay bumps for correctional officers must be addressed throughout the transitional phase of elimination.

• Strategic prison plans and agendas would be developed before removing a flexible tool that helped the government manage its corrections needs responsibly, thus taking precautions to address risks against returning TDOC to the overcrowded, unsafe conditions that led to the creation of these private prisons in the first place.

• Under my administration, the State of Tennessee would cease contracting with these private prisons by cutting ties with a comprehensive plan to determine where to place the thousands of incarcerated individuals currently housed in CoreCivic facilities. I would employ a tier-prison program to address overcrowding, especially with non-violent, first-time offenders.

• A written Human Rights Policy is not enough when numerous incarcerated individuals have died from overdose, stabbing, or lack of medical treatment at Trousdale Turner and Whiteville. In the words of CoreCivic, they are committed to providing a safe, secure, and humane environment for every individual entrusted to our care, yet these individuals are dying in their care, including Correctional Officers. These deaths are on the hands of the State of Tennessee and especially under the jurisdiction of the Governor.

• As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I would implement a transitional phase to dismantle CoreCivic, starting with Trousdale Turner. There would be no renewal of contracts, and funding would decrease throughout the process of this organization's elimination. Due to the inhumane living environments, deaths, medical atrocities, gang activities, staff shortages, drug overdoses, drug sales, family extortions for money, and lack of protocol to protect Correctional Officers and incarcerated individuals, full divestment by the state of Tennessee from CoreCivic would be warranted.

• As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I would demand accountability of this private prison. CoreCivic is not accurately reporting its operations to TDOC, which is a lack of accountability faced by the corporation. 

• Hold CoreCivic accountable for the crackdown on gang activity.

• CoreCivic has not proven to be a good partner in its four decades of service to the State of Tennessee. Alternative plans and methodologies must be implemented.

• Transitional phase: implementation of new faith-based programs and reentry and academic opportunities must be offered and incorporated in this prison setting, including courses in basic education, computer coding, construction, solar panel installation, AI education, drug counseling, conflict resolution, financial literacy & money management, housing management, family reentry counseling, gang affiliation relocation, and career exploration. 

• Creating a prison environment that focuses on prevention and rehabilitation instead of criminalization.

• Cease the creation of discriminatory governmental bills, laws, and policies that exacerbate prison loopholes and prison culture to make billionaires richer. Break the cycle of the school-to-prison pipeline, which primarily targets black, brown, and poor white individuals.

• Prison Family Support Matters (P.F.S.M) - Create a new Tennessee prison agenda to make visiting family members in prison accessible to spouses, children, mothers, fathers, and other family members. Placing an individual hundreds of miles across the state or another state is inhumane due to the financial hardship, emotional toil, and transportation burden it places on families that have the power to sustain that family bond.

  (a) Children Healthy Inmate Love Dependency (C.H.I.L.D.) - A child(ren) should not be punished because of the actions of their parent; that family bond must be preserved and protected to preserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Breaking the cycle of crime and prison overcrowding can start by reconnecting the child, giving the incarcerated father or mother hope. This will be a special family focus program to encourage and sustain that parental bond.

  (b) Spouse Persevering On Undue Stress &Emotions (S.P.O.U.S.E.) - Many prison systems clearly do not understand the hardship and stress many of these spouses go through for decades supporting their incarcerated spouse financially, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally to ensure they do not give up, especially the ones allegedly deemed innocent or serving life sentences. These spouses are their last hope for freedom and justice. Spouses spend many years going to legislators defending these individuals' rights and fighting against unconstitutional and discriminatory laws. From driving long distances, sleep in their cars, pack a hotel room, and solicit social justice advocacy to hear their spouses' cases.

  (c) Mothers Offering Their Hearts Encouragements Regardless (M.O.T.H.E.R.)- Mothers are essential to incarcerated individuals, holding on to the faith and hope of returning home if possible. These mothers have driven thousands of miles to visit their sons and daughters incarcerated. The best reward is seeing the smile on your Mom's face. A bond that surpasses all understanding. When no one else is there after years and years of visitation, Mom is still visiting and standing in the corner of incarcerated individuals. This program will be dedicated to mothers across the State of Tennessee.

• (d) Fathers Affirming Their Healthy Effort Reaction (FATHER) - This relationship is very special and necessary for the growth of incarcerated individuals, especially men. They need to hear your positive affirmation. It is the men who can break this cycle of prison slavery and restore the family unit with healthy efforts and actions.