TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 9, 2025

The Tennessee Department of Correction is facing staffing shortages despite a significant increase in prison officer salaries, prompting the use of a “floating security crew” at state facilities, according to the Tennessee Lookout. In March, a group of five correctional officers volunteered to serve with the crew at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. The department also plans to hire 20 more officers for the crew, which will travel to locations where they are needed based on staffing levels. The department recently put $37 million more into officer salaries and held recruiting events, but despite those efforts there is still a 26% vacancy rate for correctional officers at state facilities.