Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Receives Educational Funding Boost

By CN Staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall announced in late May the sheriff’s office is receiving an education grant from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development valued at $800,000. The grant will span over four years and fund three positions, including instructors and a student liaison. Additionally, it will provide laptops and other equipment necessary for improved virtual courses and, ultimately, educational success for justice-involved individuals.

“We have spent years building a foundation of helping inmates be better upon release than when they first came to jail,” Hall said. “Many have never accomplished any goal, or had any belief they could. Ensuring individuals have a high school equivalency diploma, in conjunction with other technological and vocational skills, gives them confidence they can achieve an improved quality of life once on the outside of a correctional institution.”

Hall said providing opportunities for those incarcerated has always been an important aspect to sheriff’s office programming. Modernizing the curriculum and how justice-involved are educated is key. Integrated Education and Training (IET) is a model combining occupational skills training with adult education to increase both educational and career advancement. Specifically, IET includes HiSET, computer skills, an entrepreneurial training series, parenting courses, basic work skills, among others.

“Today, we average approximately 350 monthly participants in these education/training courses and have set a goal of increasing participants by nearly 50 percent.” Hall said. “Our staff is dedicated to arresting the problem and this is another step in that direction.”