Prison is not being used for what it was intended. In the late 1800’s, Quakers sought to create a more humane alternative to harsh corporal punishments. The goal was simply to reflect, repent, and reform. 

Since the 1860s, the US has been leasing convicts to industries like steel, railroads, coal, lumber, and mining. The economy was in shambles after slavery had ended, and the labor force was scarce. Toward the end of the 18th century, states begin to see this as inhumane and increasingly difficult to ignore. Yet even after 1928, when Alabama was the last state to outlaw convict leasing their were still many southern states that participated by finding ways around the law, Tennessee actually continued its practice until 1966 in the mining industry. 

In the 1970’s we saw incarceration grow at such a rapid pace that states could not get ahead of the problem in part due to the war on drugs. In the early 1980’s in Tennessee Thomas “Wish” Beasley (who I married into the family), T. Don Hutto and Robert “Doc” Krantz started CCA, now known as CoreCivic, to alleviate prison overcrowding. This “For Profit” Prison Model is now one of the worst, most cruel and inhumane industries in modern times. Private prison notoriously understaff prisons and in doing so, invite corruption, high death rates, out of control gang activity and drug infestation. 

There was a time when we needed privatization in Tennessee but now we have to ask, how many more inmates are we going to let die at a 2-1 ratio before we finally divest out of privatization? The conditions in our prisons are as inhumane as any time in our history, in some cases I would argue more so. We have a gang controlled private prison sector in TN where extortion to families has cost many thousands of dollars (almost $30k was the most I have learned about).

Drugs are rampant and overdoses and overdose deaths are shooting through the roof out of control (from staff and vendors). Sexual assaults are rampant too, so many times they are not prosecuted and in some cases rape kits are never sent off for testing. Can you imagine your child being held down while a gang rapes him repeatedly? If this were not enough, there are too many families made to believe that “safe and secure prisons” mean their child will do their sentence time and come home…yet when they come home it is to an autopsy and a funeral home for the family to say their final goodbyes. 

None of this is acceptable. Have we stopped to ask the question of how these people ended up in prison? Why are so many people choosing illegal activities to engage in? Will we ever deal with the traumas, substance abuse and mental health challenges effectively in TN or will we continue to punish and over incarcerate when there is an alternative? Punitive and retributive justice models are not as effective as rehabilitative and restorative models.

If we restore a man to purpose and give him the tools to have a different and better future for his family than selling drugs or other illegal activities he will engage. If we challenge men in our prisons to be better and different and facilitate the opportunities and classes needed for that change we will see men rise to the occasion in many many cases. 

We do not wish to apologize for or excuse criminal behavior. We do not wish to see the abolition of prisons. We simply seek to use the sentence time to allow them to, once again as in times of old, reflect, repent and reform. Given the tools the 94% of all incarcerated men in TN will come back into our communities to live among our children and grandchildren. Should we not wish them to return better suited for their reentry? I submit to you that we should want the best for them, this leads to safer prisons and safer communities if effectively lead. 

– Tim Leeper, Executive Director