NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Correction Commissioner Derrick Schofield said he has asked for an independent audit of Tennessee's prisons after complaints from current and former employees that violence has been on the rise.
In a hearing before a Senate subcommittee Thursday, some employees blamed an unpopular new work schedule for staffing shortages that they said have made the prisons more dangerous. They also said wardens were being pressured into classifying violent assaults as nonviolent incidents in order to make it look as though prisons have been safer than they actually are.
Schofield agreed that classifications have changed, but he said the changes have made the violence statistics more accurate.
"When we go into our prisons, you see clean, well-operated and managed facilities. Does that mean that while we're there an assault might not happen? It might," Schofield said. "Does it mean that while we're sitting here right now assaults might not be happening at the prison? They might. The thing is we've got good, trained staff that can respond and run those prisons safely."
Nonetheless, Schofield said he has asked the American Correctional Association, which has accredited Tennessee prisons to review security, staffing and vacancies, and incident reporting.
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