Guards Taken Hostage During ‘Riot’ At Tennessee Prison, Per Reports

Multiple guards were taken hostage when a riot broke out at a Tennessee prison Sunday night, but the situation was contained and all prisoners were accounted for by early Monday, officials said.

The Trousdale County Sheriff’s Department said a riot was reported at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, and a “multi-agency response followed” with some 100 law enforcement officials from neighboring jurisdictions and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

CoreCivic, which runs the prison, told WTVF-TV the incident began when several inmates refused to return to their cells.

WKRN reported that Trousdale County Sheriff Ray Russell said the inmates took over a control room and released around 100 inmates into the prison yard, while three guards were locked inside as hostages. He also said that most of the inmates remained peaceful, other than some trash can fires.

“The incident was contained inside the facility fences,” the sheriff’s office said. “The prison staff reported all prisoners were returned back to their cells.”

Multiple guards were reportedly transported to hospitals, including one guard who was allegedly stripped of his clothing during the riot.

The U.S. Department of Justice in 2024 opened an investigation into the conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center following reports of “dangerous understaffing and safety concerns” since the facility opened in 2016, including reports of physical violence and sexual abuse.

“Publicly available information suggests that Trousdale Turner has been plagued by serious problems since it first opened its doors,” U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis said in a statement announcing the investigation. “This includes reports of staffing shortages, physical and sexual assaults, murders, and a 188% turnover rate among prison guards just last year. Although CoreCivic owns and operates Trousdale, the State of Tennessee is ultimately responsible for the safety of the people incarcerated there. This investigation seeks to determine whether Tennessee is meeting its constitutional obligations.”