Another warden at a Tennessee prison run by CoreCivic has been removed from the job with no public explanation.
A company spokesperson confirmed to the Nashville Banner on Monday that Chance Leeds, who had held the top job at Hardeman County Correctional Facility for nearly three years, “is no longer employed by CoreCivic” but did not confirm or deny a possible reason.
The change in leadership at the company’s West Tennessee prison comes two weeks after the Banner reported that the warden at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center — the largest prison in the state — had been placed on administrative leave. The company would not comment on the reasons for that move either, but a spokesperson said that it was not related to an ongoing federal investigation into conditions at Trousdale.
Leeds was named warden at Hardeman County in the spring of 2022. He’d worked for CoreCivic since 2014. Brian Todd, the company’s public affairs manager, said “a warden is in place at HCCF to ensure the continued safe operation of the facility.”
Hardeman County, a medium-security prison, opened in 1997 and can hold 1,976 people. It is one of two prisons operated by CoreCivic through a contract with that county. The company also runs Whiteville Correctional Facility, a medium-security facility located on the same road.