Bill > HB1502

This bill authorizes the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI), a state agency overseeing correctional facilities, to establish certification requirements for corrections officers and to inspect and approve local training academies that prepare these officers for their roles in local jails, lock-ups, and workhouses. It also modifies the process for local correctional facilities that are already certified, allowing them to avoid decertification if they submit a timely plan of action to fix issues identified during annual inspections, provided these issues do not immediately threaten the safety of inmates or staff and the plan is reasonably expected to resolve the problems within a set timeframe, generally not exceeding five years without special approval. Furthermore, the bill permits the director and full-time employees of the TCI to carry a handgun while performing their official duties, enhancing their ability to respond to emergencies.