Tennessee
Tennessee ‘tough on crime’ bill will not make us safer and take away from rehabilitation
Public safety should be a top priority for Tennessee, along with proper treatment of law enforcement and of taxpayers. We must incentivize rehabilitation.
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When our state lawmakers propose laws that aim to be tough on crime, everyone deserves to know the facts about those laws – and what is and isn’t actually tough on crime. While it may seem that longer sentences behind Senate Bill 2044 contribute to public safety, the facts show a different story: This bill disincentivizes rehabilitation, making Tennessee prisons and our communities less safe.
The unfortunate truth about SB 2044 is that it will spur the consequences that excessive sentencing laws are known to create: bloated public spending, wasted law enforcement resources, and higher recidivism rates.
Legislation like SB 2044 do not make Tennessee safer. Rather than addressing the causes of crime or improving the ability to close cases, this bill simply disincentivizes rehabilitation in Tennessee prisons. Tennessee’s earned time credits – and their opportunity to shorten a sentence for eligible people – serve as a vital incentive for incarcerated people to improve their behavior and learn from educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs, which help the Department of Corrections and improve public safety by encouraging incarcerated people to change their lives.
Public safety is at risk when incentives are weakened
Earned time credits are redirected away from the expiration of a person’s sentence, and instead apply to the person’s parole eligibility date. This amounts to an empty incentive as Tennessee’s parole board denies nearly three-fourths of all applicants, and SB 2044 has given no guarantee for parole grants and no mechanisms for early termination of parole supervision.
Simply put, weakening incentives is bad for public safety. When Arizona eliminated parole and earned time credits in 1993, prison rule violations increased by 50%, enrollment in educational programs dropped by 20%, and the reoffending rate jumped 4.8 percentage points. Tennessee’s prisons are currently severely understaffed. The last thing we should do make Tennessee prisons less safe and make life harder for those who live and work in them.
For the roughly 25% of people who do get an earlier parole, they will still need to spend the remainder of their sentence under parole supervision. That means expending additional resources from Tennessee’s parole officers and numerous pitfalls for returning citizens to manage as they try to successfully reintegrate to their communities and the workforce.
Research shows that most reoffending occurs within the first two years of parole supervision — leaving periods of supervision beyond that more an hindrance than a meaningful public safety policy. Requiring someone who has shown a commitment to reentry and successful adherence to the rules should be able to earn their way off of supervision. SB 2044 prevents that.
More: Incarcerated men find ‘new beginning’ at Tennessee prison’s first addiction program
Tennessee lawmakers knew this bill would cost a lot in the future
SB 2044 is especially tough on taxpayers. Outside of Medicaid, incarceration costs have been the second-fastest growing budget item for most states in recent years, and this bill adds to those costs.
The fiscal note for this bill indicates “significant increases in state expenditures to accommodate longer incarceration times and parolees being supervised for longer periods of time.” The Fiscal Review Committee reiterated the substantial cost at the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Hearing last month.
While the exact future cost from this bill is unknown, it amounts to a signed invoice to taxpayers to fund something that will have enormous cost and will negatively impact Tennessee prisons with no proven benefit to public safety.
Public safety should be a top priority for Tennessee, along with proper treatment of law enforcement and of taxpayers. We must incentivize rehabilitation. While SB 2044 aims to provide public benefit, it fails to meet the mark.
Matthew Charles, of Nashville, is a criminal justice expert and Senior Policy Advisor of FAMM.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
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