LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Tenn. — The daughter of the prison administrator killed during an escape last year in Lauderdale County is now suing the state.
Shernaye Johnson’s lawsuit alleges negligence by the Tennessee Department of Corrections in the death of Debra Johnson. Investigators say Curtis Watson killed 64-year-old Johnson when he escaped the West Tennessee State Penitentiary August 7, 2019.
Johnson’s daughter says the department did not properly secure or provide adequate staffing to protect her mother, who’s home was located on the facility’s grounds.
The lawsuit asks for $5 million in damages.
Just last week, The Tennessee Prison for Women (TPFW) was renamed the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in honor of the 38-year veteran of the department.
