Riverbend Maximum Security Institution opened in 1989 and is billed as one of the state's most high tech facilities.  The prison replaced its 100- year old neighbor, the Tennessee State Penitentiary, where the first death row was located.  The prison sits on 132 acres of land located off Cockrill Bend Boulevard.  It consists of 20 buildings with approximately 320,000 square feet of operating space.

In addition to housing the majority of the state's male death row inmates, Riverbend is also home to approximately 600 maximum and medium security inmates.  The overall mission of the institution is to house and manage high-risk male offenders, including those sentenced to death, to ensure the safety of the public while providing rehabilitative programs.

Ricky Bell, who is a 38-year veteran of the department, has been the warden at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution since March 1995.  Bell oversees a staff of nearly 400 people, including administrative workers, correctional officers, unit managers and medical personnel.  The prison is accredited by the American Correctional Association.

Interesting Facts

• Received first inmates on September 28, 1989

• Total construction cost:  $35 million

• Annual operating budget:  $24 million

• Inmate programs:  career management for success, cabinet making and millwork, adult basic education, general education development, data entry, printing and residential construction

Riverbend is located four miles west of downtown Nashville in the Cockrill Bend industrial area.

ON-LINE TOUR OF RIVERBEND

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