Today the members of the Judiciary and Government Joint Subcommittee of Government Operations reauthorized the Tennessee Department of Correction for a period of one year.
The committee’s decision came after TDOC Commissioner Tony Parker laid out his department’s plans to address recent contract violations by private prison giant CoreCivic, as outlined in a November performance audit by the state comptroller.
Tennessee’s “Sunset Law” (TCA 4-29-101, et seq.) requires that each agency, board, commission, and other entity be reviewed at least once every eight years by the legislative Joint Government Operations Committee to determine whether that entity should be abolished, restructured, or continued. The committee’s decision today to reauthorize for a period of only one-year highlights the level of concern the committee has about the audit findings.
Today’s hearing was a continuation of November’s sunset hearing on the Department of Correction, and was largely focused on the department’s plans to address the findings of the state comptroller’s performance audit.
Many legislators and citizens voiced their concerns during the hearing about the quality of services being provided by CoreCivic.
For more details, check out the Tennessean’s coverage here:
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/12/12/aclu-tennessee-lawmakers-must-hold-officials-feet-fire-private-prisons/943717001/
