Three arrested for profiting on inmate labor

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) –
Three men who taught classes at a Middle Tennessee prison have been indicted by a grand jury after being accused of trying to profit off inmate labor.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Robert Hill, Stephen Brinkley and Roy Napper taught a wood-working class at the Corrections Corporation of America facility on Harding Place.

During the class, investigators said inmates made things like wooden plaques and games, and that some of those items eventually were sold at a local flea market by a company named Stand Firm Design.

According to the TBI, Hill, Brinkley and Napper are co-owners of the company. They face charges of misconduct and labor violations.

A CCA spokesperson told Channel 4 that the company has a zero tolerance policy for criminal acts on the job and that inmate participation in the classes is voluntary.

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