The Tennessee Department of Corrections has parted ways with its attorney general and inspector general after an independent investigation into the state’s handling of the administration of lethal injection found the department’s process riddled with errors and poor oversight for years.
Debra Inglis, former TDOC attorney general and deputy commissioner, and Kelly Young, former TDOC inspector, announced the department’s decision on Dec. 27, according to food and paper obtained by the Tennessean.
The two were paid through January 10, but told not to report to work after December 27, or when all government property and their government IDs are returned.
Bryce Coatney, a deputy attorney general, previously tendered his resignation, according to TDOC documents.
It was announced by the Gov. Bill Lee suspended the death penalty in the state in May, and appointed former US Attorney Edward Stanton to review the state’s order after officials found drugs for April were not properly tested.
The study found that three drugs used in Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol did not test positive for endotoxins, a type of harmful substance. TDOC has yet to issue its strict enforcement order to the Texas pharmacy contracted to oversee the purchase and testing of the drugs. dangerous, the investigation found.
The findings mostly resemble a The Tennessean’s review of hundreds of pages of court records was published in May which found that the state did not comply with its own laws since the reorganization of the death penalty in 2018. The data also shows that the state is aware of the problems with its laws, by continuing to lawsuit against the state, and still decided to go forward with Oscar Franklin Smith. sentence on April 21, which was only called after a final intervention by Lee.
“TDOC’s leadership saw the use of vaccines through a short-sighted, results-driven approach rather than providing TDOC with the necessary guidance and advice needed to ensure thorough, consistent, and law-enforcement.” of Tennessee.
In a December statement on the investigation’s findings, Lee’s office called “personnel changes in the department’s leadership positions” a priority. best
Lee immediately introduced Frank Strada to lead the state prisons, which was overseen by interim commissioner Lisa Helton. The decision has already drawn criticism, as Strada comes to Tennessee from the Arizona Department of Corrections.
A federal judge found last year that prisons in Arizona violated the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments, and the department also faced many problems with its lethal injection after sanctions will resume in 2022.
Lee has appointed the new head of the department to review Tennessee’s vaccination laws.
“We have every confidence that he will lead the department with integrity,” spokeswoman Lee Jade Byers said of Strada’s hiring earlier this month.
Add:Lee’s new prison chief comes from a state that has rigged sentencing, violating inmates’ rights
Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com.