Northwest Correctional Complex

Northwest Correctional Complex
Map
Location960 TN-212
Tiptonville, Tennessee
StatusOpen
Security classMedium
Capacity2,377[1]
Managed byTennessee Department of Correction

The Northwest Correctional Complex is a state prison located in Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee. It is owned and operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction.[2] The facility can hold 2,391 inmates at a range of security levels.[3][4] It has the second largest capacity of any state prison in Tennessee after the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center.[3] As of May 31, 2020, there were 1,958 in the facility.[3] It is the primary educational prison in the state system. In addition, inmates provide more than 100,000 hours of community service to state and local governments, and non-profit agencies annually.[1]

In July 2015, eight NCC inmates sustained knife wounds in gang-related stabbings. The prison, as well as the state's Northeast Correctional Complex, was put on lockdown. The disturbances were attributed by The Tennessean to understaffing and a "severe manpower shortage" following Tennessee's decision to reconfigure correctional officers' schedules to save money on overtime.[5]

In May 2020, it was reported that 394 cases of COVID-19 had been linked to the NCC. Specifically, 381 inmates and 13 staff at the prison had tested positive for the disease as of May 15.[6] As of June 3, 2020 a total of 612 inmates and 28 staff members have tested positive; 382 of those inmates have recovered and 10 staff members have returned to work.[7]

  1. ^ a b As of 2014; see "Northwest Correctional names new warden". State Gazette. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Northwest Correctional Complex". Tennessee Department of Correction. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Tennessee Department of Correction (May 31, 2020). Tennessee Bed Space and Operating Capacities Report (PDF).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ Grimes, Bud (2009-05-22). "He Holds the Key". Tennessee Alumnus. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  5. ^ Wllemon, Tom (25 July 2015). "8 Tennessee prisoners hospitalized after knife fights". The Tennessean. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  6. ^ Smith, Ashley (14 May 2020). "401 COVID-19 cases in Lake County Tenn., 394 linked to Northwest Correctional Complex". KFVS-TV. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. ^ Tennessee Department of Correction (June 3, 2020). "TDOC INMATES COVID-19 TESTING" (PDF).