Title 41, Correctional Institutions and Inmates

(a) At least ninety (90) days prior to the date an inmate serving a felony sentence of two (2) or more years in a facility operated by or under contract with the department of correction is scheduled to be released by reason of expiration of that inmate's sentence, any victim or …

A correctional institution shall provide a pregnant prisoner or detainee with nutritionally appropriate meals and appropriate supplemental provisions between meals. As used in this section, “correctional institution,” “detainee,” and “prisoner” have the same meaning as in § 41-21…

(a) The department of correction shall provide or contract with a private entity to provide, to members of the public who have made a notification request, notification of the release of an inmate serving a felony sentence of two (2) or more years from a facility operated by or u…

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Family Visitation and Crime Reduction Act.” (b) The general assembly finds that maintaining an inmate's family and community relationships is an important correctional resource that can improve an inmate's behavior in the c…

The comptroller of the treasury is urged to study and audit the department of correction concerning the number of nonviolent offenders incarcerated in correctional institutions of the department of correction who have been incarcerated for offenses for which they have not been co…

Process in a civil action against an inmate in the penitentiary may be served by the proper officer, in the presence of the warden or the assistant warden, and returned as in other cases.

If a bill or petition is filed against an inmate in any court having jurisdiction, or any interrogatories propounded to the inmate as a party to the suit, that require to be answered, the inmate may be allowed the aid of counsel to prepare an answer.

If the inmate declines to answer the bill, petition or interrogatories after they have been read over and explained by the officer executing them, in the presence of the warden or the assistant warden, the officer may make the return accordingly, whereupon the bill, petition or i…

(a) In no civil case can an inmate be removed from the penitentiary to give personal attendance at court, but testimony may be taken by deposition, as in other cases, the party seeking the testimony being required to make affidavit that the inmate is a material witness in the cau…

Whenever the presiding judge of any court has reason to believe that the evidence of an inmate is necessary in any criminal proceedings and that other evidence cannot be obtained on behalf of the state or of the defendant, the presiding judge shall order a writ to be issued direc…

It is the duty of the warden, upon the service of the writ provided for in § 41-21-305, to have the inmate before the court on the day specified, for which purpose the warden may employ a trustworthy deputy and a sufficient guard, who are entitled to the same compensation for eac…

The warden of the penitentiary, in removing inmates to and from the penitentiary under an order of court, has the same power as the sheriff in removing inmates to the penitentiary.

The sheriff or jailer of the county in which the court is held, or of any county through which the inmate is required to pass, shall receive and safely keep the inmate in the county jail, during travel and attendance, if required to do so by the persons in charge of the inmate, f…

When an inmate has testified, the deputy and guard shall return the inmate to the penitentiary with all convenient speed.

The inmate, deputy and guard, in going from and to the penitentiary, and while remaining at the court, are respectively liable for an escape or attempt to escape under part 4 of this chapter, §§ 39-12-103, 39-13-304, 39-16-201, 39-16-402, 39-16-403, and title 39, chapter 16, part…

When personal violence is offered by an inmate to an officer, employee or to another inmate, or when an attempt is made to escape, or to do injury to the building, or any material, implements, etc., those officers and employees are authorized to use all necessary means of defense…

(a) Any inmate who neglects or refuses to perform the labor assigned, willfully injures any of the materials, implements or tools, engages in conversation with any other inmate or in any other manner violates any of the regulations of the penitentiary, may be punished by solitary…

It is the duty of the warden to report immediately to the commissioner of correction the name of each person committed to solitary confinement, with a statement of the nature of the person's offense, the date of confinement and the period for which committed, which report shall b…

No inmate shall be punished in any other way than is provided in this title, except by the authority of the commissioner of correction.

If any person confined in the penitentiary, in a county workhouse, a city or county jail or any other penal institution, upon any charge of or conviction of any criminal offense, by any means or method willfully inflicts any wound upon such inmate's own person for the purpose of …

The inmates in the penitentiary shall be competent witnesses against each other in all prosecutions under §§ 39-12-101, 39-13-304, 39-16-201, 39-16-402, 39-16-403, 39-16-605 — 39-16-607, 39-17-302, 39-17-303, chapter 1, part 1 of this title, parts 1-4 of this chapter and chapter …

Upon the trial, copies of the records transmitted to the warden of the penitentiary relative to the former trial of inmates, shall be presumptive evidence of the former conviction.

(a) (1) The warden or chief administrative officer of each correctional facility owned or operated by the department of correction shall forward a report detailing all acts of violence committed by or against any guard, employee or inmate in the facility to the district attorney …

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Prisoner Rehabilitation Act of 1970.”

(a) As used in this part:(1) “First term inmate” means a state inmate without a prior record of thirty (30) days or more detention upon conviction for a felonious crime at a federal, state or local penal facility in the United States; and(2) “Second term inmate” means a state inm…

(a) There is created a division of rehabilitative services to be administered by a director acting under the supervision of the commissioner of correction. (b) The director of rehabilitative services shall be appointed by the commissioner with the approval of the governor and sha…

(a) The director of rehabilitative services, under the supervision and authority of the commissioner of correction, shall formulate an overall plan for the rehabilitation of first term inmates and second term inmates considered corrigible and shall coordinate individual rehabilit…

(a) The director of rehabilitative services, with the approval of the commissioner of correction, shall select a staff of counselors to take charge of the activities of corrigible first term inmates and second term inmates. (b) It is the duty of the counselors, among other requir…

(a) (1) Persons selected as counselors shall be between twenty-five (25) years and fifty (50) years of age at the time of employment, hold bachelor degrees or the equivalent in psychology, sociology or other related fields and be fitted physically, mentally and morally to assume …

(a) The duties of the counselors are to program, supervise and observe the activities of first term inmates and second term inmates assigned to their care. (b) Normal caseloads shall be limited to twenty-five (25) inmates per counselor. Larger caseloads shall be permitted at the …

The director, counselors and other staff members assigned the division shall have their compensation, if any, set in accordance with appropriate statutes dealing with the compensation of state employees.

(a) The division has the authority to permit certain first term inmates and second term inmates to leave correctional institutions during the necessary hours to participate in educational classes and technical-vocational training within the state. The department of education shal…

(a) The division also has the authority to permit certain first term inmates and second term inmates to leave correctional institutions during necessary and reasonable hours to engage in approved work, conduct their own businesses or practice legitimate self-employed occupations,…

(a) When inmates are employed for wages or salaries, the division shall collect or require inmates to turn over wages and salaries when received, and the director shall assure the moneys are deposited in trust accounts and that ledgers are maintained reflecting the status of indi…

(1) After initial payment of board, the wages and salaries of employed inmates shall be disbursed for the following purposes in the order set forth:(1) Necessary travel expense to and from work and associated incidental expenses;(2) Support of dependents, if any, in amounts fixed…

(a) Procedures for the handling of all funds as set forth in this part shall be subject to review and approval by the comptroller of the treasury and the commissioner of finance and administration. (b) Funds received by the state shall become departmental revenue and be earmarked…

In the event inmates participating in outside scholastic or work programs fail to return to correctional institutions within specified time limits, such failures shall constitute prima facie evidence of intent to escape, and offending inmates shall thereby be liable to those pena…

(a) (1) This part applies to first term inmates and second term inmates hereafter sentenced to prisons or other correctional institutions in Tennessee after February 20, 1970, and those first term inmates and second term inmates serving sentences in the state as of February 20, 1…

All public officials in the state shall provide whatever aid necessary to the division of rehabilitative services and the department of correction in the accomplishment of the requirements set forth in this part. The commissioners of education, human resources, labor and workforc…

The department of correction, in consultation with the department of safety, is authorized to create a commercial driver license training program for purposes of training offenders who, upon release from incarceration, may be suitable for careers in the transportation industry. A…

The participation by inmates of state, county or city penal and reformatory institutions in any testing projects or other medical experiments shall be strictly voluntary.

(1) Any pharmaceutical company or other person, firm, corporation, foundation or other association of persons using inmates to test experimental drugs or to conduct any other medical experiments must deliver to those inmates a written statement explaining the following:(1) The na…

(a) Payment for services of the inmates shall be commensurate with payments for the same services to non-inmates, taking into consideration the special conditions of inmates. (b) No person other than a participating inmate or any certified medical personnel and pharmaceutical com…

Agreements shall be on a contractual basis. All participants shall be paid the entire amount specified in the contract, even if the participant is not able to complete the experiment because of the adverse effect of the drug or other treatment.

A copy of the results of the test or other experiment shall be sent to each inmate and prison administrator involved.

No minor serving a sentence in a penal or reformatory institution or committed to a juvenile institution shall participate in testing projects or other medical experiments.