2 Criminal Justice Reform Bills Are Approved By The Tennessee Legislature Thursday, April 29, 2021
The Tennessee Legislature has passed two criminal justice reform bills that were a priority of Governor Bill Lee and informed by the recommendations of the Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force.
The Alternatives to Incarceration Act expands access to safe prison alternatives, ensures reasonable pre-trial release conditions for those facing criminal charges, and establishes fair probation policies that limit needlessly lengthy terms or extensions.
The Re-entry Success Act creates rehabilitation and public safety-orientated parole policies, provides reentry supervision support to individuals about to re-join society, incentivizes local jails to provide rehabilitative programming, and removes unnecessary employment barriers.
Dogan Gaither Flats in Knoxville offers a different life for men knoxnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from knoxnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“We’re not going to have a fence or gates or things like that,” Smith said. “These people are already our neighbors. And so I hope that it feels like home to them and it gives them a comfortable transition.”
Smith, who started the criminal justice reform group Fourth Purpose Foundation, said a safe and supportive housing situation is also a way to reduce the state’s recidivism rate. The Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force reports that 47% of individuals released from custody for felony sentences are arrested again within three years. Men of Valor reports the recidivism rate at its facility is less than 10%.