Char Daston

1 month ago | wpln.org | Char Daston

The Tennessee Department of Correction says it’s in the process of giving tablet-style computers to every person in the state prison system. A spokesperson says the plan is for everyone to have tablets by summertime. At that point, the department will phase out physical mail, other than legal mail. Cards and letters from family and friends will be scanned to a digital format and emailed to people in prison to read on their tablets.

2 months ago | wpln.org | Char Daston

One Monday in February, an employee of the state’s Department of Human Services, which helps Tennesseans access benefits like Medicaid, got an unexpected meeting invitation in her inbox. In the meeting, a supervisor told the employee and her colleagues to expect visits from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She says they were told to give ICE agents access to private back rooms without asking for a warrant, and to refrain from asking agents to show proof of their identities.

2 months ago | wpln.org | Char Daston

Middle Tennesseans should brace for severe thunderstorms Friday night and all day Saturday. The National Weather Service predicts 60 to 80 mph winds, golf-ball-size hail, and a few isolated tornadoes. A line of storms is predicted to blow in from the west at around 3 a.m. Saturday morning. There might be a break in the rain as Nashvillians eat their breakfast, but NWS is confident that even stronger storms will come in the afternoon.

2 months ago | wpln.org | Char Daston

At a recent a volunteer day at TIRRC, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, community members huddle around long tables full of tape, markers, and cardboard boxes as music from around the world plays in the background. Sarah Fotopulos and Linda McFadyen-Ketchum pack yard signs that say “Immigrants Belong” into boxes, so they can be mailed to Tennesseans who ordered them. TIRRC will host a pro-immigration day at the statehouse on March 5th, and that also needs preparation.

2 months ago | wkms.org | Char Daston

Prisoners in Tennessee will soon be able to receive free books again. Last year, the Tennessee Department of Correction made it impossible for books-to-prisons nonprofits to mail books to prisoners in Tennessee. WPLN News reported on the issue in January. Now, one books-to-prisons program says it’s worked out a system with the corrections department that will allow it to resume sending books.