Tennessee's prison chief promises his department will levy more punishments against private prison operator CoreCivic if it continues to show signs of violating terms of its multi-million dollar contracts, as highlighted in a recent, scathing audit.
The chief's promise met some skepticism from state lawmakers during a hearing Tuesday, but not enough to stop lawmakers from reauthorizing the Tennessee Department of Correction for one year.
The action leaves the door open for further legislative scrutiny this year. It comes after Republicans and Democrats say CoreCivic facilities are plagued by understaffing, violence or other issues over the years without substantial pushback from state officials.
Read more at our news partner's website, tennessean.com.