NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A report by prisoner advocacy groups says there have been 10 homicides in Tennessee's privately run state prisons since March 2014, versus five in state-run lockups.

Wednesday's report is by the Human Rights Defense Center and No Exceptions Prison Collective. It says Nashville-based private prison operator CoreCivic's state facilities had a homicide rate more than four times higher than public state facilities.

To read more on NewsChannel 5's extensive "Prisons for Profit" reporting click here.

CoreCivic spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist says the report is misleading. She claims CoreCivic's facilities hold a higher concentration of dangerous inmates.



CoreCivic Full Statement in response to report

However, Alex Friedmann of the Human Rights Defense Center notes that Tennessee's maximum security prisons are exclusively state-run.

CoreCivic runs four Tennessee state prisons, while the state operates 10. On average, public prisons held 70% of Tennessee's prisoners over the timeframe studied.