Tennessee Department of Corrections (TN DOC) Inmate Search

In 1923, the Administrative Reorganization Act was primarily responsible in the creation of the Dept. of Institutions which was charged with overseeing the Tennessee prison system of that time. Then in 1933, legislation was passed by the General Assembly, creating the Industrial Division within the Dept. of Institutions. Four years later in 1937, its name was changed to Dept. of Institutions and public welfare, which was responsible for several other services including the Tennessee Industrial School at the state penitentiary and three regional psychiatric hospitals.

In 1939, it was divided into two separate departments, The Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Institutions. Then in 1953, the primary responsibilities of the Department of Public Welfare which oversees the activities of the public mental health facilities was transformed into the Department of Mental Health and in 1955, the Dept. of Institutions was renamed the Dept. of Corrections.

In 1974, The Tennessee Corrections Institute was implemented and put in charge of the training of all the corrections department employees. Then in 1979, an act was passed that separated the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections also, the Department of Correction Supervision and Rehabilitation fund was created and established.

In 1984, the funds from that fund was disbursed from the Tennessee Dept. of Revenue to the Dept. of Corrections which was a result of a federal lawsuit that was filed by the inmates over overcrowding and poor living conditions. Also, that suit made the department fall under a federal oversight committee to help improve the living conditions of all the inmates at the facility. After several years and about $300 million dollars, the department was released from federal oversight.

In 1992, the department was the first test case to try the privatization of the prison system in Tennessee. Then in 1994, became the first prison to become federally accredited by the American Corrections Association. In 1995, the department was reorganized and the regional concept was done away with.