Civil rights activists rallied yesterday demanding the shutdown of the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville amidst ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice into alleged inhumane conditions. According to a FOX 17 News report, the state had previously fined the prison millions of dollars for deficiencies in prison management. The same activists are also calling for the removal of the corrections commissioner and questioning why the prison remains operational despite these significant fines.
The DOJ probe follows numerous complaints that have finally come to prompt a closer scrutiny of Tennessee's largest private prison. Pastor Venita Lewis, a former Nashville NAACP president, conveyed to NewsChannel 5 about reports of sexual assault, extreme lockdown periods, and subpar living conditions within the facility. "We’ve heard from individuals claiming they were being raped, and the prison was on constant lockdown for 24, 48 hours, sometimes weeks. No calls out. No calls in. Poor staffing, poor food conditions," Lewis said.
At the forefront of the rally were individuals like Angela Stansberry, a community activist, and Cindy Cummings, whose son is incarcerated at the center. Cummings described the conditions as "horrific" and shared a harrowing incident with NewsChannel 5 involving her son, saying, "They took a knife and hit him in the head, causing a 3 to 5-inch gash. Blood was everywhere." Despite raising these issues, she has allegedly received no response.
The NAACP has actively been assisting in the investigation, expressing concerns over the allegations of abuse and mismanagement. Protesters who gathered yesterday wanted to not only close down the Trousdale facility but to put an end to its alleged violation of human dignity. “You may have violated the law or made a bad judgment, but at the end of the day, you still have your civil rights. As long as that's being violated, that's not what a prison should look like,” Pastor Lewis told NewsChannel 5.
With the federal investigation underway, the Tennessee Department of Correction has indicated its intention to cooperate fully. Advocates and families affected continue to be encouraged to reach out to the DOJ with information related to the conditions of the prison. NewsChannel 9 noted the overwhelming response that the NAACP in Nashville has received during their involvement in the investigation, suggesting a deep and widespread concern over the private prison's operations and treatment of inmates.
