One out of every 40 Tennesseans is either incarcerated, on probation or on parole. Dignity, humanity and rights to basic necessities should not be permanently stripped by past incarceration.
Op-Ed (Tennessee)
Tennessean, The
May 12, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Criminal Justice, Criminal Records, Reentry
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Op-Ed (Tennessee)
Tennessean, The
May 12, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Criminal Justice, Criminal Records, Reentry
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
DETAILS
As a civil legal aid lawyer assisting Mr. White and others like him, I see that the fallout from these barriers lands on the shoulders of all Tennesseans.
Obstacles to housing and employment often push people back into a life of crime, a reality that is reflected by our state’s 46 percent recidivism rate. And when people re-enter the criminal justice system, taxpayers foot the bill. For example, the Department of Corrections’ budget has grown more than a third since 2009 and now costs taxpayers nearly a billion dollars each year. Local jail populations have also increased in recent years, straining budgets meant for schools, teachers and roads.