In 2021, Tennessee passed two Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) bills – Alternatives to Incarceration Act and the Reentry Success Act into law.
Under the leadership of Governor Bill Lee, some of the funding was used to establish the Tennessee Office of Reentry (TOOR) (a division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development) to assist justice-impacted job seekers overcome barriers to employment and to increase support for employers hiring justice involved individuals.
This pivotal move underscored the state’s commitment to redefining the narrative of reentry and creating opportunities for businesses to benefit from the state’s untapped talent of justice-involved job seekers. Businesses across various industries in Tennessee – from manufacturing to hospitality, and beyond – are embracing Fair Chance Hiring practices.
The NRWC is partnering with the Tennessee Office of Reentry to provide Employer Relationship Development Training. This training will accelerate efforts of the Chambers of Commerce in the four largest urban areas of Tennessee (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville), state agencies and community groups across the state, to effectively engage and build long-term relationships with employers.
The goal is to equip support organizations to build talent pipelines that open quality job opportunities for justice-impacted job seekers and meet the talent needs of the local labor market.