Correction Commissioner Derrick Schofield says he has asked for an independent audit of Tennessee’s prisons after complaints from current and former employees that violence is on the rise. This includes the Northeast Correctional Facility in Mountain City. Some employees blame an unpopular new work schedule for staffing shortages that they said have made the prisons more dangerous. They also said wardens were being pressured into classifying violent assaults as nonviolent incidents to make it look like they are safer. The American Correctional Association, which accredits Tennessee prisons, will review security, staffing, vacancies, and incident reporting.