"Sources imprisoned at South Central described a different sort of housing crisis, one that takes place inside the walls of the institution that is charged with providing for them. The prison is run by CoreCivic, and, like other CoreCivic prisons in Tennessee, has been the subject of recent investigations because of the rampant violence and extortion that gang members in the prison perpetrate on newer or unaffiliated people."
"LGBTQ+ people in the prison say this violence often targets them specifically. Conditions at South Central are just one example of the broader problem that LGBTQ+ people face inside prisons, particularly around housing issues. Although prisons claim to take seriously the safety of the people they confine - CoreCivic's website highlights that they operate "safe facilities" - the people inside tell a very different story."
"Although prisons claim to take seriously the safety of the people they confine - CoreCivic's website highlights that they operate "safe facilities" - the people inside tell a very different story. Instead, people inside are organizing to protect themselves. Bishop and Atticus are both part of an LGBTQ+ group called Be the Change, which has about 35-40 members in the prison."
At South Central Correctional Center in Tennessee, incarcerated people sleep in doorways, closets, or even in showers and sometimes have no bed or place to store belongings. Some people inside are effectively homeless, bouncing between locations within the facility. The prison, operated by CoreCivic, has faced investigations for rampant gang violence and extortion that often targets newer or unaffiliated people. LGBTQ+ people report that this violence targets them specifically, especially around housing assignments. CoreCivic’s claims of operating safe facilities contrast with inmates’ reports. An incarcerated group called Be the Change, with about 35–40 members, is organizing to secure safer housing for LGBTQ+ people.
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