The Tennessee Department of Correction’s role and scope have evolved dramatically since the Tennessee State Penitentiary opened in 1831 with thirteen prisoners. From 1871–1939, the department went through a number of reorganizations and name changes before finally becoming the modern-day Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) in 1955.
In 2012, the supervision duties of the Board of Probation and Parole were brought under the TDOC umbrella, putting the department in charge of probation and parole supervision and community correction grant program functions.
Related boards and commissions include: Tennessee Community Resource Board, Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction (TRICOR), Tennessee Sex Offender Treatment Board, and Tennessee Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision.
