TDOC Holds Resource Fair For Offenders In Knoxville

KNOXVILLE – In an effort to assist the offender population in Knox County 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 Fair. Employers and representatives from agencies around Knoxville and East Tennessee, including the American Job Center, Harrison Construction, Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Knoxville and the Helen Ross McNabb Center were brought onsite to help offenders search for and obtain gainful employment as well as assistance with education and healthcare.

“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 a 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.”

Almost 40 offenders attended the event, spending the morning networking with representatives from the 11 agencies that participated.