Reentry Incentive Grant program approved by Senate State and Local Government Committee aims to reduce recidivism in Tennessee jails
Legislation calling for an innovative pilot program to provide grants to local county sheriffs or probation departments that are successful in reducing recidivism has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 1865, sponsored by Senator Ed Jackson (R-Jackson), would provide $2 million in grants to fund a three-year successful reentry program in four Tennessee counties.
“Each year, about 5,000 Tennesseans leave our prisons after serving for crimes they have committed,” said Sen. Jackson, who is Chairman of the Senate Corrections Subcommittee. “We can either help them become productive, taxpaying citizens, or we can risk them turning back to a life of crime and create a never-ending cycle. This pilot program will help identify and formulate better policies that can be scaled throughout the state. The result will be a more effective corrections system that will reduce recidivism, make our communities safer, and help save taxpayer money.”
Tennessee spends over $1 billion for corrections or 6.74 percent of the state’s budget. It is the fifth largest line item in the budget.
Under the proposal, applicants must apply to the Department of Correction stating program objectives, goals and metrics. Once selected, they can receive a portion of the money upfront to start or expand a re-entry program, but the remaining funds will not be awarded unless specific benchmarks reducing recidivism or probation revocations are met.
Governor Bill Haslam’s Task Force on Sentencing and Recidivism found that 46 percent of people released from prison or jail in Tennessee were incarcerated again within three years. This trend has helped push Tennessee’s prison population growth by 11.7 percent over the past five years.
“We must reverse this trend,” added Jackson. “This pilot program will incentivize better outcomes in our corrections system.”
The bill now goes to the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee for consideration.
