TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Amelia Ferrell Knisely on Jan 7, 2016

The Tennessee Department of Correction today released new definitions for assault following recommendations in October from the American Correctional Association, The Tennessean reports. The changes include the elimination of the "staff/inmate provocation" category and create new definitions for specific types of assault. Although Gov. Bill Haslam boasted a decrease in prison violence, the new definitions are likely to impact those statistics. "Of course, their numbers look better than what they should, because they're recording wrong." Rep. Sherry Jones, D-Nashville, said.