NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – An association representing state employees in Tennessee wants the state to stop using private prisons.

The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/2bBeIKn) reports that Tennessee State Employee Association President Bryan Merritt is calling on the Tennessee Department of Correction to end the use of private prisons because he says state employees already do a great job managing prisons. He says private prisons provide an inferior product, lower levels of safety and security and debatable savings.

2. Survey: Tennessee Prison Officers Dislike Overtime Plan - Tuesday, December 22, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amid ongoing scrutiny of how correctional officers are paid and scheduled in Tennessee, a new survey shows that the officers overwhelmingly dislike the state's recently changed overtime policies.

3. Tennessee Prisons to Pay Officers $1,000 'Retention Bonus' - Thursday, November 12, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee prison administrators plan to give current officers a $1,000 bonus before the end of the year as part of an effort to bolster retention among a department that corrections officers say has been severely understaffed.

4. Nashville Prison Faces 'Emergency Staffing Issues' - Wednesday, July 8, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A state prison in Nashville that houses men with mental illnesses is facing a critical shortage of corrections officers.

Officials at the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility say they are struggling to meet the demands brought about after implementing a new schedule intended to save $1.4 million statewide in wage costs, according to documents obtained by The Tennessean.

5. Tennessee State Employees Slighted by 'Voluntary' Buyout - Thursday, June 18, 2015

More and more, Tennessee’s state employees are feeling the same harsh realities of those working – or formerly working – in corporate America.

On the heels of 1,500 buyouts under the Bredesen administration in 2008 and 850 layoffs in 2010, Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration is offering voluntary buyouts to more than 2,000 employees in the executive branch.

6. Thompson Named Chair of MPACT Board - Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Jeni Stephens Thompson has been named the new chairwoman of the MPACT Memphis board of directors. Thompson is the director of marketing and development for the Memphis Bioworks Foundation. She has a bachelor's degree in communications from Lambuth University and a master's degree in education from Vanderbilt University. Thompson serves as the programs chair for the Association of Fundraising Professionals and sits on the Playhouse on the Square board. She is a member of the Leadership Memphis Class of 2008.