Mayor: It’s our duty to help ex-offenders reenter the workforce
Having a criminal record can be a tough barrier to workforce entry, and we don’t want a lack of funds to be the barrier between getting a job or going back to a life of crime.
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Rep. Cooper bill would let prisoners apply for Reconnect scholarships
Worried that prisoners are learning nothing as they sit in cells, state Rep. Barbara Cooper is sponsoring a bill enabling inmates to earn college credits using Tennessee Reconnect money.
Nelson: How to fight recidivism with great books
The parole board was blown away when a woman who had spent 25 years behind bars, and who was a member of the great books group at West Tennessee State Penitentiary, quoted Herodotus in answer to a question about how she now defined success.
‘Ban the Box’ wins final approval on county side
Taking a question about past criminal convictions off the county's job application involves a set of complex rules for hiring those with a criminal past. The new ordinance pushes the consideration to later in the hiring process.
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