Tennessee Lawmaker Criticizes Prison Chief Over Corrections Officer's Killing

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State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, sharply criticized the head of the Tennessee Department of Correction, Commissioner Frank Strada, during a Senate finance committee meeting. Yager said the February attack in which an inmate killed a corrections officer at the Morgan County Correctional Complex could have and should have been prevented, citing multiple failures and lapses in oversight by TDOC that allowed the incident to happen.

Why it matters

The killing of Corrections Officer Dustin Pedigo has raised serious concerns about safety and security issues within the Tennessee prison system. The incident highlights the need for improved monitoring, communication, and response to potential threats from inmates in order to protect corrections staff.

The details

According to Yager, the inmate who killed Pedigo, Reginald Steed, had made repeated verbal and written threats to harm someone before the attack. Steed was also able to open his own cell door due to a known vulnerability in the prison's electronic locking system that TDOC was aware of but had failed to address. Yager said corrections officers had asked TDOC to install additional padlocks on cell doors prior to the incident, but no action was taken until after Pedigo's death.

• On February 24, 2026, Corrections Officer Dustin Pedigo was killed in an attack by inmate Reginald Steed at the Morgan County Correctional Complex.
• In the days leading up to the attack, Steed had made threats to harm someone, which were heard by fellow inmates and monitored by TDOC in phone calls.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The state legislature is expected to continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Corrections Officer Pedigo's death, including calling prison staff to testify about their concerns and what they tried to do to alert TDOC leadership.