By C1 Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Corrections is answering questions about its inmate reclassification after allegations rose that the move was a cost saving measure that brought about increased violence in state facilities.
Clarksville Online reports that the DOC reviewed its classification in 2012 after it found racial disparities that placed the department at risk for litigation due to being in violation of inmates’ 8th Amendment rights.
The DOC said that each inmate was carefully reviewed before being reclassified, including length of time in maximum custody, behavior, gang affiliation, and disciplinary history. Facility wardens also met with each offender to determine if they could be reclassified.
The DOC asserts that this move was not a cost-saving measure, but instead an effective, strategic part of the department’s management of the offender population. They also asserted that 90 percent of those who stepped down into lower classifications did so successfully.
Offenders are being reviewed frequently to ensure that they are in the right program, the right facility and at the right security level.
The TDOC also asserted that the proactive approach to population management has kept the state from being subject to numerous lawsuits.