Tennessee Department of Correction Records 1902-1992

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION RECORDS 1902-1992 and ADDITION 1981-1993 RECORD GROUP 277 Processed by: Gregory G. Poole Archival Technical Services Tennessee State Library and Archives Date Completed: January 3, 2001 MICROFILM ONLY INTRODUCTION The records contained in Record Group 277, Tennessee Department of Correction span the period 1902 through 1992, although the bulk of the collection is concentrated in the 1970s and 1980s. The record group consists of clippings, correspondence, minutes, reports, and subject files, reflecting the various responsibilities of the Department of Correction. The records contained in Record Group 277 came to the Tennessee State Library and Archives from the State Records Center. The final disposition of the collection was determined by the Records Disposition Authorization (RDA) process. In accordance with the RDA, all the material in Record Group 277 has been microfilmed and the originals were disposed of by state approved method. Record Group 277 consists of approximately 76 cubic feet before microfilming and two oversized volumes. Records removed and destroyed during processing were duplicate copies and routine office correspondence was sampled. The records of the Board of Pardons and Paroles were separated from the collection, and formed into Record Group 280. Record Group 280 is confidential and restricted for public use until 2061. Record Group 277 may be used in conjunction with other record groups relating to the Department of Correction. Researchers should consult Record Group 11, Department of Institutions, 1796-1922; Record Group 13, Department of Institutions, Prior to 1922; Record Group 79, Department of Institutions, 1922-1934; Record Group 155, Correction Employee Oaths of Office; Record Group 175, Tennessee General Assembly Correction Committee Records; and Record Group 261, Pardons and Paroles, 1840-1925. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE Record Group 277, Tennessee Department of Correction Records spans the period 1902 through 1992, although the bulk of the collection is concentrated in the 1970s and 1980s. The collection consists of approximately 75 cubic feet of material. In accordance with the Records Disposition Authorization (RDA), the collection was microfilmed and the originals disposed of by state approved method. Due to the immensity of the collection, Record Group 277 was divided into fourteen series, reflecting the divisions of the department throughout its existence. The largest series in the record group is the Division of Adult Services, and the Commissioner’s Office files (Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner’s files). The other record group series includes: Central Office Records; Community Services; Correctional Enterprises; Counseling Services; Internal Audits; Juvenile Probation; Organizational Development; Board of Pardons and Paroles; Rehabilitative Services; Tennessee Law Enforcement Agency; Tennessee Main Prison and Youth Services. The collection is composed of clippings, correspondence, minutes, reports, and subject files. The correspondence, in keeping with the original order, is filed alphabetically by sender or topic. Topical correspondence, such as letters concerning penal institutions, was not separated, but was maintained in the original filing system. There is very little correspondence before 1960 in the collection. Routine office correspondence, such as letters of requests, have been sampled and the majority disposed of. A vast amount of the collection consists of the large number of reports generated by the department, the various state prisons, and penal institutions. Population reports include information concerning prison population, those inmates transferred to other institutions, and inmates paroled. Although there are gaps in the records, each state institution is represented in the reports. Discipline Reports detail the infractions committed by the inmates on a daily basis and the disciplinary actions taken against the inmate. The records found in the Tennessee Department of Correction record group provide an extremely important view of corrections in Tennessee in the mid-twentieth century. Although there are many gaps in years, the collection should prove useful to students of Tennessee social and penal history. TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION The Tennessee Department of Correction was established for the care and custody of inmates and the various adult penal and juvenile and correctional institutions. The Department of Correction also operated a system of state industries in the penal institutions, supervised the operation of farmlands, and supervised the program of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The department’s role and scope has changed since the Tennessee State Penitentiary opened in 1839 with 13 prisoners. From 1871 to 1939, the department went through various name changes and reorganizations to become the modern day Tennessee Department of Correction in 1955. At that time various divisions were created, one for juvenile probation in 1957, and the Division of Adult Probation and Parole in 1961. In 1979, the Adult Board of Parole became an autonomous unit with probation remaining under the jurisdiction of the department. The juvenile division of the department also underwent changes in 1989 with its removal from the department to create the Tennessee Department of Youth Development. Modern day alternatives to traditional incarceration were developed in 1970, with the passage of the Prisoner Rehabilitation Act, authorizing adult release, and in 1974, with the opening of juvenile group homes in Memphis and Nashville. In the 1970s, the department began a major building program to accommodate a growing inmate population. Over 3000 beds were added to the system in regional prisons at Lake, Bledsoe, Morgan, and Davidson counties. The 1980s ushered in a period of great change due to a federal lawsuit (Grubb’s Case) filed by the inmates complaining of unfit and crowded conditions, and the increased demand for bed space, surpassed the supply because of changes in the state’s sentencing structure. Consequently, the department came under federal supervision. In October 1985 a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly was convened to address prison problems. The legislature approved the 1985 Comprehensive Correction Improvement Act that addressed these areas and funded over $320 million to improve current facilities and build new ones. In 1987, Governor McWherter inaugurated another multimillion dollar construction program. Two new maximum security facilities were completed by 1990. Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, the first high security prison built since the turn of the century, was completed in the Cockrill Bend area of Nashville and West Tennessee High Security Facility, adjacent to the Cold Creek Correctional Facility. Northeast Correctional Center in Wayne County opened in March 1992, and Northwest Correctional Center in Lake County opened in June 1992. Each was designated as a medium security facility. In June 1992, Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility opened to house 612 inmates. The Wayne County Work Camp, originally designed to house inmates who could furnish labor to the state, and local and nonprofit agencies, was converted to a boot camp where offenders go through 90-120 days of extensive work and exercise. On May 21, 1993, after 11 years of court ordered supervision, federal Judge Thomas Higgins ruled that Tennessee’s correctional system was constitutional. CONTAINER LIST Series I: Adult Services Microfilm Roll #1_______________________________________________________ BOX 1 1. Clippings, 1971-1972 2. Clippings, 1977 3. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1973 4. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1976 5. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1976 6. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1976 7. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1977 8. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles, B, 1977 9. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles, B. 1977 10. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1978 11. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles, B., 1989 12. Correspondence-- Bass, Charles B., 1990-1992 13. Correspondence-- Bernhardt, Penny, 1973-1974 14. Correspondence-- Bernhardt, Penny, 1978-1979 15. Correspondence-- Bishop, Ronald L., 1980 16. Correspondence-- Bishop, Ronald L., 1981-1983 17. Correspondence-- Bledsoe County Regional Prison, 1980-1981 18. Correspondence-- Bradley, Harold B., 1980-1981 19. Correspondence-- Brummett, George, 1989 20. Correspondence-- Brushy Mountain Prison, 1981 21. Correspondence-- Brushy Mountain Prison, 1981-1985 22. Correspondence-- Brushy Mountain Prison, 1985 23. Correspondence-- Brushy Mountain Prison, 1986 24. Correspondence-- Chattanooga Community Service Center, 1991 25. Correspondence-- Chattanooga Release Center, 1975 26. Correspondence-- Classifications, 1986 27. Correspondence-- Classifications, 1989 28. Correspondence-- Community Service Centers, 1982-1985 29. Correspondence-- Counseling Department, Fort Pillow, 1975 30. Correspondence-- Counseling Department, Fort Pillow, 1976-1979 31. Correspondence-- Cross, W.B., 1961-1967 BOX 2 1. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1977-1978 2. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1981 3. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1982-1983 4. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1985 5. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1986 6. Correspondence-- DeBerry Correctional Institute, 1991 7. Correspondence-- Dickman, Jim, 1973-1975 8. Correspondence-- Dickman, Jim, 1988-1990 9. Correspondence-- Dillard, Moses C., 1990

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