Knoxville Community Resource Center Expo A Success

KNOXVILLE – In an effort to assist the offender population in Knoxville and surrounding communities, the Knoxville Day Reporting and Community Resource Center (DRC/CRC) collaborated with Probation Parole Officers at the Tennessee Department of Correction’s (TDOC) Knoxville Field Office to hold a Career & Resource Expo.  Employers and representatives from agencies around Knoxville and East Tennessee, including the American Job Center, Harrison Construction, Pellissippi State, and the University of Tennessee’s TPOPS were brought onsite to help offenders search for and obtain gainful employment.

“Having a criminal background creates a major hurdle for those individuals we work with,” said Knoxville DRC/CRC Employment Specialist Staci Galloway.  “It can prevent them from finding stable employment.  Without steady income, it makes difficult for them to secure housing, healthcare, and various other necessary resources that are already difficult to obtain as it is.  By providing them the opportunity to meet and network with these employers and other agencies, we’re ensuring they have a greater chance at success, and when they succeed, our whole community succeeds.”

Over 100 offenders attended the event, with over 30 getting interviews on the spot, including several who received job offers before leaving.