Correction, Dept. of

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and text do not specify the exact criteria for selecting inmates or the specific needs associated with constructing and operating a reentry facility.

Study on Reentry Facilities for Inmates

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Correction to study and report on the feasibility and costs of building reentry facilities that help inmates transition back into society.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the department of correction to conduct a study about constructing and operating reentry facilities for eligible inmates nearing release.
• The study must include criteria for selecting inmates, current training program availability, timing for inmate eligibility, housing arrangements, resource needs, costs, and other requirements.
• Includes an assessment of similar facilities in other states and their outcomes.
• Requires all state agencies to help the department with this study.
• Directs the department to submit a report by January 1, 2026, detailing findings and recommendations.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Tennessee Department of Correction
• State government agencies that must assist in the study
• Inmates nearing release who may be eligible for reentry facilities

Terms To Know

Reentry Facility

A special type of facility designed to help inmates transition back into society by providing work, education, and support services.

Eligible Inmates

Inmates who meet certain criteria set by the department for participating in reentry programs.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much money will be spent on the study.
• It is unclear what specific recommendations or legislation may come from the report.
• The effectiveness of similar facilities in other states might vary, making direct comparisons difficult.

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 4644, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Requires t
he department of correction
to
study the issues associated with constructing and operating a reentry facility that would house eligible inmates who are working toward return from incarceration into the community.



Requires the study to
include
all of the following:



A list of criteria to be used to determine the inmates best suited for being housed in the reentry facility, including educational and rehabilitative criteria
.



The percentage of inmates who qualify for work, educational, or vocational training programs currently and who are not able to participate in such programs due to unavailability of positions or other prohibitive factors
.



The most beneficial time in which an eligible inmate would qualify to be housed at a reentry facility that is no earlier than two years prior to the inmate's release eligibility date
.



An evaluation of the issues associated with housing inmates in an environment that serves as a residential reentry facility, allowing eligible inmates to work during the day and return to the facility in the evenings
.



An assessment of the resources needed to successfully operate a reentry facility, including, but not limited to, community and law enforcement partnerships
.



A survey of other similar facilities in other states that may be in operation and the outcomes and issues associated with operating those facilities
.



An implementation strategy for constructing and operating a reentry facility in this state
.



The costs associated with constructing and operating a reentry facility, including an evaluation of both a state-funded and a public-private partnership option, and recommended locations for a reentry facility
.



A list and evaluation of any other needs associated with constructing and operating a reentry facility, including, but not limited to, information sharing, intelligence exchange, community engagement, and transitional social services.



Requires a
ll appropriate agencies of state government
to
provide assistance to the department for purposes of conducting the study
.



Requires the
department
to
compile a report of the department's findings and recommendations, which may include potential legislation. The report must be submitted to the speaker of the house of representatives and the speaker of the senate no later than January 1, 2026.



Requires

t
he department
to
pay any costs associated with the study from the department's existing resources, which may include the department's reserve fund.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1201
By Jackson

HOUSE BILL 1090
By Sexton

HB1090
002844
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 40 and Title 41, relative to corrections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-6-106, is amended by adding the
following language to the end of the section:
The commissioner must file the report by February 1 of each year.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.