Private prison operator under investigation after $4M in settlements

CoreCivic, the largest private prison operator in the U.S., is under federal investigation following years of allegations of inmate mistreatment in its Tennessee facilities. The company has spent $4.4 million since 2016 to settle nearly 80 lawsuits, involving claims ranging from violent beatings to medical neglect resulting in more than 20 deaths.

CoreCivic’s Trousdale Turner Correctional Center is a focal point of the investigation, with the Department of Justice focusing on incidents of violence, contraband smuggling and severe staff shortages.

One of the largest settlements, for $900,000, involved the suicide of an inmate where staff allegedly falsified records. Despite paying millions in fines and settlements, CoreCivic continued to renew its contracts with Tennessee .

Whistleblowers and advocates have raised concerns that CoreCivic views these settlements as a routine cost of doing business, prioritizing profits over inmate welfare. Since 2016, Tennessee has fined CoreCivic $37.7 million for contractual violations, but the company has not admitted wrongdoing in any of its settlements.

Families of the victims are calling for systemic changes to ensure accountability and improve conditions inside the facilities.

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