Corrections commissioner requests recurring funding for drone detection and centralized intelligence

Frank Strata, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, told the House Financial Aids and Means Committee that contraband delivery—often by drone—and illicit cell phones are an urgent public-safety problem that increases violence in facilities and victimization outside prison walls. "Drones are being used to transport drugs, weapons, and cell phones directly into prisons," he said, and added that illicit phones enable inmates to "coordinate criminal activity, intimidate witnesses, and attempt to manipulate their own family members."

TDOC requested recurring funding to expand drone-detection capabilities and to stand up a Correctional Safety Intelligence Center (CSIC) that would house personnel and analytics to monitor activity across the system. TDOC described a FY27 recurring request of $1,700,000 for drone detection as part of a broader CSIC plan that TDOC estimates at roughly $5,000,000 per year to cover staffing, camera AI overlays, and other monitoring costs. TDOC said a contract vehicle through a NASPO arrangement was used for initial procurements and identified Axon (camera/AI) and Skydio (drone technology) as vendors used in demonstrations and early contracts.

Committee members questioned TDOC’s use of internal salary savings and reversions last year to cover a large medical contract increase (TDOC reported reallocating more than $37,000,000 that cycle), and whether the state prosecution/local-jail reimbursement account remains adequate after a $20,000,000 transfer to cover contract increases. TDOC staff said the transfers drew from available salary savings and that the department has included a request in its FY27 submission to address projected shortfalls tied to local-jail housing.

The committee pressed TDOC on several operational and oversight topics: whether TDOC is still providing gender-affirming hormone therapy (assistant commissioner said TDOC is not starting new patients but continuing treatment for individuals already on medication), the status of county housing contracts (TDOC said Shelby County has not signed a new contract and litigation is pending), cell-phone jamming (TDOC said FCC approval is pending and existing commercial demonstrations have not been reliable), and actions taken after the Trousdale Turner riot (TDOC moved hundreds of inmates within 24 hours and has reduced Trousdale’s population and reclassified placements to lower-security cohort groups).

Commissioner Strata framed investments in education, vocational training, and reentry supports as central to reducing recidivism while arguing that improved monitoring and technology will better prevent violence within facilities.