New Avenues
The Sheriff's Office offers a State Licensed Alcohol and Drug treatment
center for male and female offenders . This is a 45-day program program to
combat the growing problem of substance abuse within the criminal population
. Counselors work one-on-one and in aggressive group therapy to prepare
inmates to return to society drug-free.
The effort seems to pay off. The
rate of repeat male offenses has dropped 49% among inmates who have
completed the program -- the national average is 35%. The female offenders
have only been returned to the DCSO in the last month, however New Avenues
for female offenders is already operational. Many participants who complete
this program ask to be part of another rehabilitation program dealing with
domestic violence.
Click here
to read the brochure provided to inmates about New Avenues in PDF format.
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Bruce Helms leads a group of
inmates in the New Avenues program
(Click for larger image) |
S.A.V.E. (Sheriff's
Anti-Violence Effort) Program
SAVE is a six-week domestic violence program within the Sheriff's Office
jails. Offenders learn to deal with power and control issues through group
therapy sessions three times a week. Victims of domestic violence are
referred to a shelter and offered counseling. The program, which began in
1994, graduates approximately 20 inmates each six weeks, with 56% of these
offenders staying out of jail for at least a year after graduation.
Click here to
read the brochure provided to inmates about SAVE in PDF format.
Education Program (Adults)
Adult inmates may attend more than 30 classes per week in
subjects such as basic literacy, English as a second language, GED, and art. The 12
teachers who conduct the classes have more than 230 years of combined experience.
Technology offers an exciting new opportunity to educate inmates.
Computer software called "Invest Learning" provides a wide range of
instructional programs in many of the same subjects taught in classes. Even more, working
with "Invest Learning" increases literacy among inmates, develops their senses
of personal motivation, and better equips them to find a job after release.
The DCSO sponsors graduation for GED recipients twice a
year. 83% of the program's graduates get jobs and continue their education following
release.
Work Release
The Educational/Work
Release program operated by the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, out of the
Offender Re-Entry Center, provides inmates in the program the opportunity to
be gainfully employed, or to continue in educational or vocational training.
The program is designed to increase community protection by providing
offenders with the opportunity to change themselves and those conditions
that brought them to jail. Participants will have the opportunity to provide
financial aid to their dependents, or to accumulate financial savings for
use upon release. Participation in the program will increase awareness of
personal responsibilities, and teach self-respect that comes from
self-support and personal accomplishments.
The Offender Re-Entry Center provides a setting promoting positive social
behavior through mentoring, employment, programs, and counseling. Work
Release participants who have demonstrated successful participating while at
the Offender Re-Entry Center may qualify for the Day Reporting program. This
program allows the inmate to live at home and continue to work in the
community. It serves to reduce the jail population.
Target Population:
- Adult offenders
sentenced to a least 30 days up to 18 months of an active sentence in
the custody of the sheriff.
- Probation violators
- DUI first offenses
- Child support and
enforcement violators
Criteria:
To qualify for
consideration, an inmate must:
- Be in the custody
of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
- Be within one year
of the projected release date, excluding any sentence reduction credits
given to felony convictions.
- Meet all sentencing
percentage requirements.
- Be clear of
outstanding warrants, wants, holds, or pending charges.
- Have documented
verifiable employment, or is willing to seek employment within 30 days
of approval.
- Have reliable
transportation, if needed, to and from the workplace (inmates are not
permitted to drive to/from the Offender Re-Entry Center).
The screening includes a
review of the inmate's criminal history, physical and mental health,
substance abuse, employment, and educational history. The majority of
inmates in the Work Release are placed at a judge's recommendation.
To apply, contact the
Work Release Coordinator at phone 615-862-8286, fax 615-880-1939.
Outside Work Program
The Offender Re-Entry Center’s Outside Work Program provides offender labor
to several agencies including non-profit and Metro Government. The services
provided are janitorial, landscaping, minor maintenance, and roadside
cleanup, to name a few. These offenders also participate in special events
such as set-up for Earth Day, and the Music City Marathon. The program
provides an average of 4,500 labor hours weekly to the customer. The
following agencies participate in the Outside Work Program:
-
Metropolitan Fire
Department
-
Metropolitan Police
Department
-
City of Berry Hill
-
City of Lakewood
-
Public Library
-
General Services Motor
Pool
-
General Services Fleet
Management
-
Sportsplex
-
Metro Parks
-
Metro Public Works
-
The Downtown
Partnership
-
Fraternal Order of
Police Youth Camp
-
Metro Animal Control
Services are also provided
to Davidson County Sheriff’s Office facilities including:
-
Criminal Justice Center
-
Hill Detention Center
-
Correctional
Development Center (Male)
-
Sheriff’s
Administration Building
-
Civil Warrants
-
DCSO Training
-
DCSO Supply
-
Correctional Services
Center
-
Sheriff’s Correctional
Complex Maintenance
Education of Juvenile
Offenders
The Davidson County Sheriff's Office's education program for young
offenders, provides a full curriculum of classes for bound-over juveniles in
the adult jail. Classes, including physical education, are conducted five
days a week from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Each juvenile offender receives diagnostic testing upon entering the program
to determine his academic level. Offenders can earn a high school diploma,
prepare to take the GED exam, or increase their own educational levels.
The Sheriff's juvenile education program has been evaluated by the Metro
Board of Education, which provides a teacher for the program, and has been
declared a model program for other jurisdictions to follow.
12-Step Programs for Substance Abusers
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are offered
in all DCSO detention facilities.
Other Inmate Programs
Also offered are classes in parenting skills, wellness and
nutrition, decision-making, and health-related issues.
Return to Facilities Information page.
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