Prison for Women serves as the state reception and classification center for new female prisoners. As of 2016, Tennessee houses state inmates in four private prisons, all run by Corrections Corporation of America. According to the state's Private Prison Contracting Act of 1986, which authorizes only one private prison for state inmates, Tennessee contracts directly with CCA for inmates held at South Central Correctional Facility. For the other three facilities the state circumvents the statute by contracting with the local county. In turn the county signs an agreement with CCA. Death row Male death row prisoners are housed in the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. All female death row inmates are housed at the Tennessee Prison for Women. Men are housed in dedicated death row units, while women are not housed in special death row units because few women go on death row. Executions occur at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. From 1916 to 1960 executions occurred at the Tennessee State Prison. Fallen officers Since the establishment of the Tennessee Department of Correction, 20 correctional employees have died in the line of duty.TDOC Fallen Officers See also List of United States state correction agencies List of Tennessee state prisons List of law enforcement agencies in Tennessee List of U.S. state prisons Tennessee Board of Parole References External links Tennessee Department of Correction website Tennessee Blue Book section on the Department (PDF) Frank Lee and Robert Rogers, Tennessee Prison System, Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'' State corrections departments of the United States State agencies of Tennessee Prisons in Tennessee Penal system in Tennessee 1923 establishments in Tennessee