11 Prisons in Tennessee: A Closer Look at Local Facilities

The state of Tennessee has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States. With over 20,000 individuals behind bars, Tennessee’s prison system is a critical issue that affects not only the lives of those incarcerated but also the wider community.

The state’s prisons have been the subject of much debate and criticism, with concerns raised over issues such as overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, and harsh sentencing laws.

In this article, we will explore the current state of Tennessee’s prison system, examining its history, current conditions, and the challenges it faces. We will also discuss efforts to reform the system and improve the lives of those impacted by it.

State Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
Bledsoe County Correctional Complex	Cumberland Plateau, TN	2,539	Close	Male	Tennessee DOC
Morgan County Correctional Complex	East Tennessee, TN	2,441	Medium	Male	Tennessee DOC
Northeast Correctional Complex	Johnson/Carter County, TN	480	Medium	Male	Tennessee DOC
Northwest Correctional Complex	Tiptonville, TN	2,434	Medium	Male	Tennessee DOC
Riverbend Maximum Security Inst.	Nashville, TN	748	Maximum	Male	Tennessee DOC
West Tennessee State Penitentiary	Henning, TN	2,254	Maximum	Male	Tennessee DOC

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) is a level 3 facility located on top of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Covering approximately 2,500 acres, the prison is nestled in the hills between Pikeville and Spencer.

BCCX houses approximately 2,539 offenders in three separate facilities: Site 1, Site 2, and Unit 28. Site 1 is the intake diagnostic center for all male offenders sentenced to the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), where they receive a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to determine their medical, mental health, and programming needs.

Site 2 is a time-building prison where offenders are offered vocational programs such as barbering, carpentry, culinary arts, and small engine repair to help with successful re-entry into the community. The TRICOR Shaw Industry plant is also located at this prison and employs approximately 253 offenders.

Unit 28 houses approximately 300 female offenders who are offered vocational programs such as CAD, Cosmetology, and Landscaping/Gardening to assist them with opening doors for a successful re-entry process.

Morgan County Correctional Complex

The Morgan County Correctional Complex (MCCX) in East Tennessee is a medium-security prison with maximum security beds available. The facility covers 65 acres and boasts 500,000 square feet of space.

MCCX can house up to 2,441 offenders and is one of Morgan County’s largest employers, with 744 employees. The prison offers a variety of programs, including Impact of Crime on Victims, GED Testing, Community Service Work Crews, Pro-Social Life Skills, Career Readiness, and Pre-Release Programming.

Additionally, Substance Use Treatment is offered as a full-time modified therapeutic community assignment, accommodating approximately 100 individuals per year for six months. MCCX has been successful in providing thousands of hours of labor to local government and non-profit organizations through their Community Service crews.

The completion of the MCCX expansion resulted in a $3.6 million savings to the State of Tennessee and the closure of Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex.

Northeast Correctional Complex

Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) is a time-building prison with a close custody designation, located in Tennessee. The prison houses offenders of various custody levels, with 300 offenders located at the minimum annex site in Johnson County and another 180 offenders housed in Carter County.

NECX offers intensive substance use and anger management counseling programs, and both sites operate extensive community service programs that provide thousands of hours of skilled and unskilled labor to state and local government, as well as non-profit agencies in East Tennessee.

The prison operates one industry in coordination with TRICOR, with Shaw Industries, a hardwood flooring company, operating through the private section of the TRICOR Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIE).

NECX also offers educational programs, including Adult Basic Education classes, six vocational programs, and GED certification for those without a high school diploma. Additionally, NECX has mandatory Career Management for Success and Release for Success programs for those nearing release.

Northwest Correctional Complex

The Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee is a prototypically designed prison that serves as the primary educational facility for the Tennessee Department of Corrections.

The prison offers a range of educational programs, including special education services, adult basic education, preparation for GED testing, college degree programs, Title 1, and vocational education programs. These programs cover a variety of subjects, including welding, masonry, carpentry, painting, HVAC, engine and vehicle repair, and TRICOR manufacturing programs.

Although the complex lacks industry, it has placed a strong emphasis on education and community service. Each year, inmates provide over 100,000 hours of community service work to state and local government and non-profit agencies.

Riverbend Maximum Security Institution

Riverbend Maximum Security Institution is a high-tech prison located in Tennessee that opened in 1989. It replaced the Tennessee State Penitentiary, which had been in operation for over 100 years.

The prison is made up of 20 buildings and covers approximately 320,000 square feet of operating space on 132 acres of land. Its designated capacity is 748 offenders, with 480 of them classified as high-risk.

Riverbend offers housing for offenders at all security levels, ranging from minimum to maximum. The prison also houses all of the state’s male death row offenders.

The primary goal of Riverbend is to manage high-risk male offenders while providing rehabilitative programs to ensure the safety of the public, departmental employees, and offenders. The prison offers educational programs such as GED and Adult Basic Education to its inmates.

West Tennessee State Penitentiary

West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) Site 2 is a maximum, medium, and minimum custody prison that serves the public by managing adult male offenders. The facility is designed to offer a secure environment that provides educational and vocational opportunities to its inmates.

Additionally, the Security Management Unit (SMU) program is available for close custody offenders. Educational and vocational programs include HiSet (formerly GED), adult basic education, college correspondence courses, microcomputer technology class, as well as HVAC, small engines, and masonry.

Furthermore, WTSP has TRICOR operations that consist of farming and a textile plant. The prison is committed to the rehabilitation of its inmates and offers a variety of programs to help inmates improve their lives and prepare for their eventual release.

Federal Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
Federal Correctional Institution, Memphis	Memphis, TN	1,240	Medium	Male	Federal Bureau of Prisons (US Department of Justice)

Federal Correctional Institution, Memphis

The Federal Correctional Institution, Memphis is a medium-security federal prison located in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility is solely for male inmates and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

The prison also includes a satellite prison camp that caters to minimum-security male offenders. FCI Memphis has the capacity to house 1,240 inmates and provides various programs and services to support their rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.

These programs include education, vocational training, and drug treatment programs. The facility’s staff is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for both inmates and employees, and they work tirelessly to ensure that all federal regulations and guidelines are followed.

Private Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
South Central Correctional Facility	Clifton	1,500	Medium/ Maximum	Male	CoreCivic
Hardeman County Correctional Facility	Whiteville	1,976	Medium	Male	CoreCivic
Whiteville Correctional Facility	Whiteville	1,450	Minimum/ Medium	Male	CoreCivic
Trousdale Turner Correctional Center	Hartsville	2,552	Medium	Male	CoreCivic

South Central Correctional Facility

South Central Correctional Facility is a medium-security prison located in Tennessee. The facility is managed by CoreCivic, a private corrections management firm.

SCCF offers self-improvement programs in every unit of the prison, including the Residential Drug Abuse Program, work programs, mental health programs, and Career Technical Education. In addition, academic programs such as GED, Adult Basic Education, and literacy tutoring are available.

Vocational programs are also offered, including Career Management for Success, carpentry, construction core, electrical, groundskeeping, information technology, masonry, and plumbing. SCCF is a time-building prison, meaning that offenders work towards earning good behavior credits that can be used towards early release.

Hardeman County Correctional Facility

Hardeman County Correctional Facility, located in Tennessee, is owned by the Hardeman County Correctional Facilities Corporation and managed by CoreCivic.

This prison has a capacity of 1,976 medium security beds and is contracted by TDOC. Offenders at this facility participate in various academic and vocational programs, mental health programs, and work programs similar to those offered at TDOC-owned and operated prisons.

Two TDOC staff members are present on-site to ensure contract compliance and provide for functions not delegated to private entities under state law.

Whiteville Correctional Facility

Whiteville Correctional Facility (WCFA) is a prison located in Tennessee that offers a variety of programs and services to inmates. Managed by CoreCivic, a private corrections management firm, WCFA is a time-building prison with a security designation of minimum to medium.

The prison offers cognitive-behavioral residential substance use programs, as well as anger management, life skills, family counseling, and pre-release counseling.

In addition, WCFA provides academic programs such as HiSet (High School Equivalency Diploma) and Adult Basic Education, and vocational programs including Building Trades, Carpentry, Career Management of Success (CMS), Electrical, HVAC, and Construction Core.

These programs are designed to help inmates develop skills and knowledge that can be used to successfully re-enter society upon release.

Trousdale Turner Correctional Center

Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (TTCC) is a medium security facility located in Hartsville, Tennessee, managed by CoreCivic, a private corrections management firm.

The facility offers a comprehensive reentry and rehabilitation curriculum for offenders, including the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), along with other programs to help offenders recognize and modify negative behavior patterns.

In addition, offenders can participate in academic programs in basic education, literacy, and GED preparation, as well as vocational training in a wide range of fields such as electrical, masonry, and computer technology.

TTCC is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for both staff and inmates while also providing opportunities for offenders to better themselves and prepare for successful reentry into society.

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