Former Dickson County corrections deputy booked into very jail he once helped supervise

DICKSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — News 2 has uncovered new information in the arrest of a former Dickson County jailer accused of making sexual contact with female inmates.

That former jailer is 41-year-old Calvin Wayne Lewis, who worked at the Department of Correction (DOC) from June 2007 until June 2023. Corrections officials told News 2 that Lewis rose to the rank of captain at the Turney Center Industrial Complex , a facility that houses male inmates.

With close to 17 years of experience, Lewis was hired at the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) in June 2023.

He was promoted to corporal in June 2023, then promoted again in November to Security Sergeant with more responsibilities.

According to Dickson County Sheriff Tim Eads, allegations from a female inmate rose around March 20, 2024. According to Eads, the woman was trading sex for access to vapes.

“I am very comfortable and confident that as soon as that disclosure was made, the wheels started turning,” Eads said.

Eads added that when confronted, Lewis denied that the entire event had taken place.

“But the county invested heavily, in the last few years, in upgraded video, so there was a lot of video evidence,” Eads said.

Lewis was suspended. After a 5-month internal affairs investigation and a criminal investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the veteran corrections officer was terminated and charged with three counts of sexual contact with inmates.

After his indictment on August 22, Dickson County warrant officers joined deputies in Humphreys County to arrest the ex-corrections officer at his home. The deputies then drove Lewis to the Dickson County jail that he once helped supervise to book him on a $25,000 bond.

Lewis has since made his bond and is due back in court on September 9. When News 2 asked Eads if it was difficult arresting someone with the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office, he had this to say:

“It can be, but these are serious charges. We have a code of ethics, code of conduct and you cannot do that. It is highly inappropriate and it is a crime.”

According to Justia Law , sexual contact with an inmate is a Class E felony, which can carry between one to six years per count if convicted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.