Rutherford County Correctional Work Center making a difference in inmate lives

Feb 14, 2017 at 08:17 am by bryan


"There is a misconception among the general population that individuals in jail are content to simply wallow in a state of carelessness, just waiting for the day when the doors are opened so they can stroll back out into their crime-filled lives. The fact is, most offenders love to give back to their community while incarcerated" says Superintendent Bill Cope of the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center.

One such act of "giving back" is a recent project that female offenders (in the Correctional Work Center's Therapeutic Community program) completed. The Therapeutic Community is a rehabilitative program for prisoners that strive to prevent relapse into crime and improve public safety. The program promotes life skills, educational services and rehabilitation through the guidance, facilitation and mentorship of volunteers.

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The program encourages inmates to take responsibility for their incarceration and communities, as well as focus on their behavior and actions towards others. Part of that focus is giving back to their community in any way they can.

The most recent project consisted of putting together Valentine's Day care packages for disadvantaged boys and girls facing difficult circumstances in their lives. "Each child at Middle Tennessee's Good Shepherd Children's Home will receive a Valentine's Day gift from the project. The gift consists of fun donations, including a colorable piggy bank for each child" says project coordinator Linda Wilson. "We've included markers to color the bank, a small box of candy, and a Valentine's Day card made by the inmates".

Many of the children that Good Shepherd serve struggle with the effects of poverty, abuse or neglect and in most cases, just need stability and a little extra love and support to reach their full potential. "In many ways, the inmates in our program face those same challenges" says Superintendent Cope, who personally donated two golden dollar coins to each bank.

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