Governor Bill Haslam Visits State Prison

HENNING – For the first time in several years, a sitting Tennessee Governor visited a state prison.  Earlier today, Commissioner Tony Parker, Warden Jonathan Lebo, Warden Trinity Minter and the entire prison staff welcomed Governor Bill Haslam to the facility in Henning, Tennessee.

Governor Haslam’s first stop was at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) Site II which is home to the 512-bed, intensive addiction treatment program.  Earlier this year the department repurposed WTSP as part of the Governor’s Tennessee Together initiative which is focused on eradicating substance abuse throughout the state.  The Tennessee Department of Correction is proud to stand alongside Governor Haslam by focusing on increasing substance abuse treatment options for the offender population.  WTSP’s innovative new program is an intensive nine to twelve month program with access to long term after care services. 

The Governor later toured the Child Visitation area at Site I, which is named the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center (WTRC).  This program allows the children of residents to spend the weekend with their incarcerated parent in a special, child-centric housing area.  Each resident has to be pre-approved and attend a parenting class prior to the visit.  The weekend stay is not only an incentive for the residents but is a key part of the department’s family reunification programming.  WTRC is a therapeutic community with gender specific programming to address the behavior that led to incarceration. 

During the visit, Governor Bill Haslam had the opportunity to hear from both staff and inmates.  Senator Ed Jackson (District 27) also joined the Governor on the visit.  According to Commissioner Parker, “Today’s visit from the Governor and Senator Jackson mean so much to the staff and inmates here.  As commissioner, I see the great work the men and women of this department do every day and I am proud to work for an administration that believes in the work that we are doing.” 

To see photos from Governor Haslam’s visit, please visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmoJxcUT.  For a video of the child visitation area, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=951ukvE2aW0.