Updated 10/14/19

Tennessee’s incarceration rate is above the national average, with the prison population growing by nearly 400% in the last four decades, according to a new report by the Crime and Justice Institute.

The information was commissioned by Governor Bill Lee as part of his efforts on criminal justice reform.

The report found that in 2017, Tennessee had a 10% higher incarceration rate than the United States average with 429 inmates per 100,000 residents.

That year, Tennessee corrections saw milestone spending with the state surpassing 1 billion dollars for the first time.

The report also found that not only is the incarceration rate higher, but inmates are staying longer which includes in Giles County.  Time served has grown more than 20% overall.

Governor Lee has created a task force to reduce the number of inmates who re-offend while improving public safety.