FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2005

TENNESSEE PRISON FOR WOMEN NEWSTART TRANSITION COMMUNITY OPENS AUGUST 26

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Department of Correction Acting Commissioner Gayle Ray, along with representatives of the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, today announced the state's first transition center is officially open to female offenders at the Tennessee Prison for Women.  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held this morning at 10 a.m. CDT at the prison's minimum-security annex site located in Nashville.

"The Department of Correction has recently undergone a change in philosophy, shifting our focus to rehabilitating inmates instead of warehousing them," said Ray.  "With 97 percent of the offender population returning to the communities they came from one day, corrections is everybody's business.  With this in mind, there is a definite need to place more of an emphasis on treatment, employment assistance and job retention for offenders in order to reduce recidivism."

The NewStart Transition Community, a 40-bed female program, follows a therapeutic community program structure designed to promote awareness, responsibility and accountability.  The Department of Correction is partnering with the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee to provide services to the transition community participants through a state grant.

"The YW is honored to partner with the Department of Correction for this innovative transitional community," said Brenda Wynn, YWCA Board Chair.  "We are particularly excited about extending the program time for in-depth focus on treatment, employment and re-entry services as well as family reunification and connection to community resources.  The YW is a starting point for women who have faced multiple barriers, and this enhanced NewStart program will significantly increase the chances for these women to succeed as they transition back into our communities."

The goal of this program is to improve public safety by reducing recidivism, therefore reducing the likelihood of creating more victims in the community, improve the quality of life for the offender and her family, and ultimately save the state money.  The department aims to reduce recidivism by at least 10 percent amongst the participants in the program.

"This type of program is smart, not soft on crime," said TDOC Assistant Commissioner of Rehabilitative Services Jim Cosby.  "It's a win-win for everyone.  Enhanced public safety translates to fewer victims in our communities and money is saved by reducing the cost to the taxpayers when it comes to funding corrections."

The transition center program is based on a three-phase approach, lasting approximately nine months in duration.  The first phase is assessment and orientation consisting of classroom and programmatic work.  Phase two is stabilization and rehabilitation focusing on cognitive behavior and community service.  The final phase is re-entry and employment with the key goal being job placement and work release.

In order to be eligible for the transition center program, an offender must meet the following criteria:

• Annex placement eligible (minimum security level classification)

• Referred by the Board of Probation and Parole

• Within 12-15 months of release eligibility date or expiration of sentence

• Must be able to perform job functions

• No class A or B disciplinary infractions within last six months

The Tennessee Prison for Women NewStart Transition Community is one of two centers slated to open this year as part of a TDOC Division of Rehabilitative Services pilot project.  A 90-bed transition center for male offenders is currently in the works for September 2005 at the Charles Bass Correctional Complex Annex in Nashville.

For more information, contact the Department of Correction Rehabilitative Services Division at (615) 741-1000, ext. 8128, or visit our Web site at www.tennessee.gov/correction.

 

 
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