Tennessee Governor Appoints New Prison Commissioner After Lethal Injection Challenges

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada. Courtesy of Tennessee Department of Correction.

After announcing last week that leadership changes would be made at the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) following major problems with lethal injection protocols, Gov. Bill Lee announced the appointment of a new commissioner to lead the department.

Lee, a Republican, announced Frank Strada will take over the role effective Jan. 9. Interim Commissioner Lisa Helton has served in the role since December 2021 after the former commissioner retired.

“I commend Lisa’s strong leadership as interim commissioner and appreciate her continued service to the department,” said Lee in a press release. “Frank’s extensive corrections management and law enforcement experience make him well-suited to lead the Department of Correction, and I am confident he will serve Tennessee with integrity.”

Strada is the current deputy director for the Arizona Department of Corrections, overseeing prison operations, inmate programs, public affairs, facilities management, and financial services, according to the press release.

Lethal Injection Protocol Not Followed

In May 2022, the governor ordered an immediate stay of executions in the state through the end of the year until an independent review and investigation was undertaken following the halted execution of prisoner Oscar F. Smith in April.

The governor called for Smith’s execution to be halted an hour before it was scheduled to begin, stating: “Due to an oversight in preparation for lethal injection, the scheduled execution of Oscar Smith will not move forward tonight,” adding the reprieve would last while the state reviewed TDOC protocols.

TDOC officials failed to follow their own protocols in several executions via lethal injection in the state since 2018, according to a report released to the public by the governor in late December.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee takes part in a discussion on state-level criminal justice reform in Nashville on April 17, 2019. Mark Humphrey/AP Photo

The investigation discovered that the three drugs used in Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol were not properly tested for endotoxins, a type of contaminant. The investigation placed heavy blame on TDOC leadership for failing to ensure adherence to its own protocol.

Following the release of the report, the governor issued directives to ensure changes at the department, including the hiring of a new commissioner in January and a revision of the state’s lethal injection protocols.

Strada Oversaw Resurgence of Executions in Arizona

While overseeing prisons in Arizona, Strada oversaw the first executions in the state after an eight-year hiatus, according to Cronkite News, an Arizona PBS affiliate.

The state oversaw three executions in 2022, more than had occurred in the previous decade, according to the outlet. A fourth is scheduled to take place in 2023.

Arizona also faced problems with its lethal injection protocols after a botched execution in 2014 left the prisoner gasping for air in the death chamber gurney for two hours, witnesses said.

An investigation into Arizona’s handling of lethal injection executions said the state did follow its protocols, but in 2020 it secured a source of a different lethal injection drug and in 2021 refurbished its gas chamber as an alternative to lethal injection.

Strada will bring 34 years of corrections management and law enforcement experience to TDOC, including nearly 30 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Lee’s office said.

“Strada provided leadership and policy direction to staff at 121 correctional institutions during his tenure with the BOP and served as a key advisor to the bureau’s director,” the release continued.