Press Release
FAMM Applauds DOJ Announcement of Civil Investigation Into Conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2024
Press contact: teamfamm@mrss.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that it is launching a civil rights investigation into conditions at Tennessee’s notorious Trousdale Turner Correctional Center – a privately run prison known for frequent incidents of violence and deaths, high staff turnover, and civil rights abuses – FAMM (formerly known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums) released statements commending the Department of Justice’s action:
“People sentenced to prison in Tennessee are not sentenced to stabbings, sexual and physical abuse, fatal drug overdoses, medical neglect, or gang extortion,” said Mary Price, FAMM General Counsel. “And yet, that is what people imprisoned at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center face on a daily basis. A prison sentence should never include the experience of living in daily fear of death.”
“Trousdale Turner’s deadly reputation has been an open secret for years,” said Matthew Charles, FAMM Senior Policy Advisor. “We have heard many disturbing accounts from incarcerated people and their families, and even former staff. This federal investigation is much needed. We must bring to light the inexcusable inaction of state authorities in light of CoreCivic’s chronic underinvestment in its facility staff, security, healthcare, and ultimately, in the well-being of Tennessee prisoners in its custody.”
FAMM formally urged the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) in September of 2023, citing “mounting evidence of unsafe conditions, violence, deaths, and understaffing.”
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FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safely reduce incarceration, save taxpayer dollars, and keep families together. Founded in 1991, FAMM has secured bold sentencing and prison reform across the country while elevating the voices of directly impacted individuals and families.