Staff errors were at the root of a June riot at the Trousdale Turner Correction Facility, which is operated by private prison company CoreCivic, said state Corrections Commissioner Frank Strada. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessee’s correction commissioner is blaming officers at Trousdale Turner for a June riot that led to a staffer’s stabbing, not the private operator that runs the prison.

The riot could have happened at any prison in the state, Commissioner Frank Strada told a Senate Corrections Subcommittee Wednesday. He added he couldn’t guarantee another one wouldn’t happen anywhere in the state, though one senator pointed out that Trousdale Turner had plenty of warning signs for trouble.

“The incident that occurred there was just due to staff error. It wasn’t becau

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