NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Nashville judge has ruled that private prison company Corrections Corporation of America must turn over more documents to a magazine that advocates for the rights of prisoners. Cortney Friarson is here with that story.
CCA argued that the settlement documents sought by the plaintiff were confidential and not connected in any way to the state.
But Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled once again that CCA is subject to Tennessee's open records law because it’s the equivalent of a government agency, and that no government entity can enter into a confidential settlement.
In her ruling, Bonnyman says the magazine, Prison Legal News, won't be able to get the documents until an appeal is resolved. CCA's attorneys have indicated they will likely appeal.
CCA houses 75,000 offenders and detainees in more than 60 facilities and employs 17,000 people.