By C1 Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Members of the American Correctional Association completed their spot tour of some Tennessee prisons this week, and their report could be released soon, according to WBIR.
The inspection was requested by state officials and meant to focus on staffing and safety concerns throughout the prison system.
Three people from ACA visited five facilities at the request of the Tennessee Department of Corrections. The executive director of ACA, James Gondles, participated in the review and said they spoke with “scores and scores” of staff members and inmates. The review cost $7,922.
The inspectors visited Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning and Bledsoe County Correctional Complex for “scheduled in-depth reviews.” They also visited DeBerry Special Needs Facility and Riverbend Maximum Security Institution for additional visits.
Lawmakers and correctional officers have questioned whether ACA will provide an adequate inspection of the prison, with one lawmaker calling the ACA a “rubber stamp for business as usual.”
The inspection is a result of complaints of understaffing, reportedly caused in part by a new scheduling system which correctional officers say creates unduly unsafe working conditions.