Tennessee Senators’ Surprise Prison Visit Angers Corrections Commissioner
Three state senators made an unannounced visit to inspect the prison where Officer Dustin Pedigo was murdered, prompting angry calls from the corrections commissioner.
WARTBURG, TENNESSEE — Three Tennessee senators conducted an unannounced inspection of a state prison where a corrections officer was murdered earlier this year, prompting angry phone calls from the Department of Correction commissioner during their visit.
Sen. Tom Hatcher of Maryville, chairman of the Senate Corrections Oversight Subcommittee, Sen. Ed Jackson of Jackson and Sen. Ken Yager of Kingston, chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, visited the Morgan County Correctional Complex in May to examine operations following the February killing of officer Dustin Pedigo.
Warden Shawn Phillips welcomed the senators and answered their questions, but received two phone calls from Correction Commissioner Frank Strada during the visit, according to Hatcher.
Commissioner Upset Over Unannounced Visit
“I can verify that, yes, we did show up unannounced, and the commissioner was not happy with us being there unannounced. But it is what it is. We’re the oversight committee, and I didn’t know that we, as senators, had to get permission from anybody to visit a state office anywhere,” Hatcher told the Tennessee Lookout Monday.
The senators’ inspection came months after the deadly incident that highlighted security failures at the East Tennessee facility. Faulty locks allowed inmate Reginald Steed to escape from his cell in February, leading to the fatal attack on Pedigo.
Murder Case Moves Forward
Steed has since been indicted for first-degree murder in connection with Pedigo’s death. Following the incident, officials transferred Steed to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.
The February murder exposed significant security vulnerabilities at the Morgan County facility, prompting legislative oversight of the state’s corrections system. The Senate Corrections Oversight Subcommittee, led by Hatcher, has authority to inspect state correctional facilities.
Department of Correction spokesperson Dorinda Carter declined to comment on the senators’ visit when contacted Monday.
Ongoing Oversight Efforts
The unannounced inspection reflects growing legislative scrutiny of Tennessee’s prison system following the officer’s death. The senators’ decision to arrive without prior notification appears designed to observe normal operations rather than staged presentations.
Phillips, despite receiving calls from his superior during the visit, maintained a professional demeanor and provided information requested by the legislative oversight committee. The warden’s cooperation with the senators contrasted with the commissioner’s apparent displeasure over the surprise inspection.
The incident at Morgan County Correctional Complex represents one of the most serious security breaches in recent Tennessee corrections history, leading to increased legislative attention on prison safety protocols and infrastructure maintenance.
