Tennessee Code Annotated

Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 (2026)

Part definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

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As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Claim" means any lawsuit or appeal filed by an inmate except a petition for post-conviction relief;

(2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of correction;

(3) "Department" means the department of correction;

(4) "Inmate" means a person housed in a facility operated by the department, housed in a county jail or housed in a correctional facility operated by a private corporation pursuant to a contract with the state or local government; and

(5) "Trust account" means an inmate's trust account administered by the department or by a county jail.

Acts 1996, ch. 913, § 1; 2001, ch. 76, § 1.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 55 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1999–2025 · leading case: Sandy Eugene Womack v. Corr. Corp. Of Am. D/B/A Whiteville Corr. Facility, 448 S.W.3d 362 (Tenn. 2014).

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Sandy Eugene Womack v. Corr. Corp. Of Am. D/B/A Whiteville Corr. Facility, 448 S.W.3d 362 (Tenn. 2014). · cites it 18× “§§ 41-21-801(4) and 41-21-803 when the statutory scheme was enacted in 1996—included those facilities operated by a private corporate entity, we do not believe the General Assembly would have amended Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 (4) in 2001 to add the language “facility operated…”

Sweatt v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 99 S.W.3d 112 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 18× “The trial court dismissed the petition for failure to comply with the requirements of Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-801, et seq., because the petitioner did not pay the court costs he owed from a prior lawsuit.”

Hawkins v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 127 S.W.3d 749 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 8× “See Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 41-21-801 to—818. This court has recently interpreted the venue statute, Tenn.”

Sweatt v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 88 S.W.3d 567 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 4× “§ 41-21-801, et seq. We affirm. I. PRIOR Cases On December 13, 1990, Antonio Sweatt pled guilty to two counts of aggravated rape, and received an agreed sentence of 25 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.”

Williams v. Bell, 37 S.W.3d 477 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 4× “§ 41-21-801, et seq., which requires inmates who file their suits in forma pauper-is to submit to the trial court a complete list of every previous claim or lawsuit filed by the inmate.”

Hayes v. State, 341 S.W.3d 293 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 4× “Additionally, the trial court found that Appellant had not met the requirements of Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 et seq. Specifically, Appellant had not submitted an affidavit setting forth a complete list of every lawsuit or claim previously filed.”

Davis v. Holland, 31 S.W.3d 574 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “§ 41-21-801 et seq., and the failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”

Gerald A. Sanford v. Tennessee Dep't Of Corr. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 12× “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 . The plaintiff must also file along with the affidavit of indigency a “current copy of the inmate’s trust account.”

Michael Mosby v. Roland Colson (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 17× “Inmate Affidavit Pursuant to T.C.A. §§ 41-21-801, 41-21-805, which contained accompanying exhibits; 7.”

Ricky Brown Sr. v. C.O.I. Majors (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 16× “The Circuit Court of Hardeman County dismissed the Appellant’s petition for writ of certiorari for the Appellant’s failure to comply with section 41-21-801, et seq. of the Tennessee Code, for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and for failure to state a claim upon which relief…”

Jarvis Q. Williams v. Cherry Lindamood, Warden (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 8× “Civil litigation initiated by state prisoners with an attached affidavit of inability to pay costs is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated Section 41-21-801, et. seq. As pertinent to this appeal, Section 41-21-806 provides as follows: (a) An inmate who files a claim that is…”

Earl Vantrease v. CoreCivic (Tenn. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 6× “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 , et seq. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss arguing that Mr.”

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— Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801(1) — 1 case

Hawkins v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 127 S.W.3d 749 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “See Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 41-21-801 to—818. This court has recently interpreted the venue statute, Tenn.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801(4) — 4 cases

Sandy Eugene Womack v. Corr. Corp. Of Am. D/B/A Whiteville Corr. Facility, 448 S.W.3d 362 (Tenn. 2014). “§§ 41-21-801(4) and 41-21-803 when the statutory scheme was enacted in 1996—included those facilities operated by a private corporate entity, we do not believe the General Assembly would have amended Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-801 (4) in 2001 to add the language “facility operated…”

Buster Chandler v. Maria M. Salas (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018).

In Re Est. of David Alan Beddingfield (Tenn. Ct. App. 2025).

Michael Mosby v. Roland Colson (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “Inmate Affidavit Pursuant to T.C.A. §§ 41-21-801, 41-21-805, which contained accompanying exhibits; 7.”

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