MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Seven inmates at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center marked a major milestone in their rehabilitation journeys by graduating from the county’s Re-Entry Program during a ceremony held inside the facility.

The graduation featured a video highlighting participants’ paths toward recovery and personal accountability. Among those featured was Candy Blank, whose appearance surprised several attendees. Blank, now living in recovery, also served as the ceremony’s guest speaker, according to Lindsey R. Davis, Re-Entry Program Coordinator with the Rutherford County Recovery Court.

Blank shared a candid and powerful message about transformation made possible through healthy coping skills and structured support.

“I participated in 13 classes,” Blank said. “Support from dedicated officers and volunteers sparked a turning point.”

A central focus of the Re-Entry Program is helping participants identify and change entrenched thinking patterns. Blank said the program helped her rediscover faith and begin a sustained recovery process.

“Within those walls, faith was rediscovered and the journey to recovery began—laying the foundation for where life stands today,” she said.

Davis described the ceremony as both eye-opening for current participants and a full-circle moment for Blank. Several individuals who once supervised or supported Blank—including her former probation officer, detention staff, and counselor—were present for the graduation.

Blank’s progress since completing the program has been significant. She has returned to her role as a dependable, loving mother and wife, and now serves the community as a certified peer support specialist with the Safe Baby Court in Rutherford County.

“Change begins when you’re willing to put in the work,” Blank told graduates. “Those classes changed my life.”

The seven graduates earned certificates of completion in Moral Recognition Therapy and Anger Management and are actively participating in additional cognitive behavioral therapy programs offered at the detention center. Detention deputies coordinate closely with the Recovery Court to deliver the Re-Entry curriculum to eligible inmates.

The Re-Entry Program is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.

Photos courtesy of Rutherford County Recovery Court.