NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Families who have lost loved ones in Tennessee prisons gathered this week in Lebanon to share their stories and demand reform by state lawmakers, hoping their voices will spark change in a system they say is failing inmates.
At the corrections townhall, attendees stood to represent family members who died while incarcerated in Tennessee facilities. Their stories painted a troubling picture of conditions inside state and private prisons.
"He's been in isolation since February because they were threatened to rape or kill him," one family member said.
"I know he suffered and I know that the cellmate told me that he didn't even know how to do CPR," another said.
The families recounted incidents of overdoses, extortion and preventable deaths within the prison system.
"My son Travis Hollis passed away last July 8th from a fentanyl overdose and Travis hated fentanyl. That's how he lost his mom back in 2021," one parent said.
The emotional testimonies left many demanding action.
"So what are we going to do? How are we going to change it? How many people have to die?" one attendee asked.
Lawmakers propose bipartisan solutions
Following the townhall, NewsChannel5 reached out to lawmakers who were present at the event to understand their reactions and explore potential solutions from the General Assembly.
Tenn. House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons said there's growing support for ending private prison contracts.
"There's an overwhelming desire to end private prison industry entirely. Anytime profit enters the equation, it's a bad variable to have in the penal system," State Rep. Clemmons said.
State Senator Mark Pody suggested restoring oversight mechanisms that were previously eliminated.
"The Prison Oversight Board is one of those boards. I don't think that the General Assembly has clear enough focus as to what is happening in those prisons and I'm trying to bring light to that," State Sen. Pody said.
Both lawmakers emphasized that prison reform could unite legislators across party lines, focusing on the government's responsibility to rehabilitate inmates.
"That's a duty of the government is to rehabilitate those individuals before we put them back out into society so that they don't commit other crimes and so that they're productive members of society and can go back to their family and loved ones," State Rep. Clemmons said.
State Sen. Pody echoed the need for humane conditions while maintaining accountability.
"If you're in prison, I want you to do the penalty and the time for committing that crime. But you gotta do it in a safe and humane environment," State Sen. Pody said.
Legislative progress already underway
Both lawmakers pointed to recent progress in addressing prison conditions. A bill unanimously passed in this year's legislative session requires private prisons with death rates twice the average of state-run prisons to reduce inmate populations.
The bill and the Lebanon townhall were both pitched and organized by Tim Leeper, whose son died in 2023 at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, highlighting ongoing concerns about conditions in Tennessee's correctional facilities.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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